Bryan Stow, 42, is still in an induced coma after being beaten outside Dodgers Stadium on Thursday. On Saturday, surgeons removed a section of his skull to reduce swelling. Family and friends of the Santa Cruz father of two are waiting anxiously at his bedside at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for news about his condition.
Bryan Stow, 42, is still in an induced coma after being beaten outside Dodgers Stadium on Thursday. On Saturday, surgeons removed a section of his skull to reduce swelling. Family and friends of the Santa Cruz father of two are waiting anxiously at his bedside at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for news about his condition.
Stow, a paramedic and avid sports fan, traveled to Los Angeles with two of his friends to cheer on the Giants in their series against the Dodgers. While walking to the parking lot after the game, he was noticed by fans of the rival team because of the Giants jersey he was wearing. According to eyewitnesses, they hit him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground, and proceeded to kick him even after he lost consciousness.
The perpetrators, who have not yet been caught, are described as two Latino men in their twenties. Police say that locating the men will take time, but to expedite the process, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to their arrest.
Rebecca Mackowiak, who works as a paramedic with Stow, noted, “We get called to a lot of fights, and he’s always the one to calm things down, get people laughing.” Describing what she believes happened in the incident, she said, “There is no doubt in my mind that if these guys were harassing him, he just walked away.”
The cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles and their two respective teams have all condemned the attack. “Baseball is a family sport that has unified our country after times of crisis and tragedy,” they said. “This senseless act of violence has no place in our society and certainly not in our national pastime.” In its statement, MLB said, “We call on our respective citizens to stand together in honor of that rivalry [between the Giants and the Dodgers] as you have done throughout the years. Root hard for your teams, and do so with civility and common decency.”
Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel, SF Gate and the LA Times.
