By Larry Johnson
The Los Angesles Dodgers have been sued for $17 million in a lawsuit charging that stadium security engaged in racial profiling and used excessive force following a game last September.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that four brothers were called “thugs” and “gangbangers” and assaulted by security during an incident after a playoff game against the Washington Nationals.
The brothers, who are Hispanic, say they were assaulted after another fan shouted at them, ESPN reported. One brother had his nose broken, while a second was detained with a security officer’s knee on his neck. The officers reportedly were a mix of regular security personnel and off-duty police.
The Dodgers declined comment.
Obviously, this is a lawsuit that will either be settled out of court or go to trial. Far be it from me to say who’s right and who’s wrong. That’s up to the court, and it’s why we have courts in the first place.
Based on my own personal experience as a spectator at U.S. sporting events, I think some event security people have become increasingly more aggressive over the past decade or so. It wouldn’t surprise me much to see the number of similar cases increasing in the fairly near future.
