SF, LA Mayors Respond To Giants Fan Beating
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- City officials from Los Angeles and San Francisco along with the owners of the Dodgers and Giants released a joint statement Sunday condemning the actions of two suspects believed to be responsible for the severe beating of a Giants fan Thursday night.
Bryan Stow, 42, was still in critical condition Saturday morning after two suspects kicked him repeatedly in the Dodger Stadium parking lot following an opening day game that the Giants lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, police Detective Lisa Governo said.
"This attack is unconscionable behavior that will not be tolerated in either of our ballparks," read the statement.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee made the announcement along with police Chief Jeff Godown; Giants Managing Partner Bill Neukom; Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and police Chief Charlie Beck.
A police spokesperson was unable to comment on the victim's condition as of Sunday evening.
Stow, who works as a paramedic for Santa Cruz County, was walking with three friends near the stadium's F2 parking lot, located at 1000 Elysian Park Ave., when suspects clad in Dodgers clothing approached him from behind at about 8:25 p.m., Officer Rosario Herrera said.
The two suspects first taunted Stow, who was wearing Giants paraphernalia, and then hit him from behind, which caused him to fall to the ground, Governo said.
They proceeded to kick Stow repeatedly, causing head and body injuries severe enough for responding paramedics to take him to a local hospital, Herrera said.
Stow's friends, who are also from the Bay Area, tried to intervene and were attacked, police said.
Three people total were injured in the scuffle. Two of Stow's friends were treated at the parking lot for minor injuries and released, according to police.
Stow and all his friends had been wearing some kind of Giants logo at the time of the attack, Governo said.
Police hadn't made any arrests as of Saturday, but Governo said detectives are pursuing several leads. The suspects are described as two men between ages 18 and 25 wearing Dodgers paraphernalia.
Anyone with information on the beating is encouraged to call Los Angeles police at (877) 527-3247.
Meanwhile, colleagues have stepped forward to provide assistance to Stow, who has logged six years as a paramedic with the medical transportation company American Medical Response.
KCBS' Betsy Gebhart Reports:
Stow's AMR co-workers established a trust fund for the Stow family over the weekend, after hearing from dozens of people who expressed frustration about not being able to do more to help.
"You instantly want to be around him," Samantha Tennyson described Stow, a father of two. "You want to be his friend once you meet him. He's never negative, he's always happy."
According to Tennyson, there was virtually no question that co-workers would want to pitch in.
"We're all a very tight-knit kind of close family, basically, over at AMR and what we do is very stressful and you know, so we really do form strong bonds with our co-workers," she reasoned.
She hoped enough funds would be raised to help cover Stow's medical bills, plus allow Stow's family to travel to Los Angeles to be by his side while he remained hospitalized.
"We understand, being in the medical profession, how expensive care can be," she said. "You know, making sure that his family can be taken care of with, you know, hotels and all that stuff."
Understandably, the attack on Stow has made other sports enthusiasts question whether they are safe before, during and after games.
KCBS' Bob Butler Reports:
Bob Rose, Director of Public Relations for the Oakland Athletics, suggested there is only so much a team can do.
"There are standard procedures, not only outside the stadium but inside the stadium, you try to assure safety at all times," Rose explained Sunday, as the A's faced the Seattle Mariners at the Oakland Coliseum. "Well, you certainly have security outside the parking lot as well. But obviously, you're talking about thousands and thousands of people who park their cars and so forth."
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