Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck confirmed that the LAPD suspects a mother and son assaulted a man outside Dodger Stadium Friday night after the New York Mets’ 3-1 victory, leaving the victim in critical condition.
Police obtained video of the assault, which showed a woman in her 40s or 50s and a man in his late twenties arguing with the victim before the confrontation quickly turned violent. By Tuesday, the victim’s condition was listed as serious but stable condition; police interviewed him to elicit details of the incident.
Beck was reticent on Tuesday about whether the participants in the fight knew each other or rooted for opposing teams. He insisted that security has improved since 2001, when San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was violently beaten outside the Stadium and left with brain damage. Beck stated, “Anyone who goes to games now sees uniformed officers inside the venue as well as outside the venue, particularly for championship games or key rivalries. But it is a big facility, and you can’t be everywhere all the time,” according to the Associated Press.
Beck promised enhanced security for Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, implicitly referring to the Chase Utley slide that left New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada with a broken leg by noting “the tensions between the two teams right now, and the fans obviously …There’s been a significant amount of rivalry here — a lot at stake.”
Dodger spokesman Steve Brener indicated the team would not comment about the Friday incident.