Security At Dodger Stadium Wearing Opponents Jerseys
Zero Tolerance
The opening day game at Dodger Stadium got under way Tuesday amid a heavy police presence, one year after a San Francisco Giants fan was beaten into a coma in the parking lot. Undercover officers wearing Pittsburgh Pirates jerseys in the stadium joined uniformed officers patrolling on bikes, horses and in squad cars.
Officers wearing rival team jerseys will be at every game this season, Sgt. Mitzi Fierro said.
“If somebody is going to harass a fan from an opposing team, it increases the possibility of them coming in contact with a police officer,” she said. “It kind of requires people to be on their best behavior.”
Last year’s opening was marred by an attack at the end of the game on Giants fan Bryan Stow. He was wearing a San Francisco jersey when he was punched in the head, kicked and slammed to the ground in the parking lot. Stow, a paramedic from Santa Cruz, suffered severe brain damage and continues to undergo rehabilitation.
He still needs someone to dress him and help him to and from his wheelchair, according to a posting early last month on a family blog.
Two men have pleaded not guilty to charges of mayhem, assault and battery.
