Three separate lawsuits were filed earlier this week claiming excessive violence by Dodger Stadium security personnel toward the team’s fans during the 2021 season, listing assault, battery, false imprisonment, violation of civil rights and emotional distress among the accusations.
The suits, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday by the same law firm that sought $17 million in damages for allegations of racial profiling and excessive force in October 2019, seek unspecified monetary and punitive damages.
The Los Angeles Dodgers declined to comment through a spokesperson, citing their policy toward pending litigation.
L.A.-based attorney Peter diDonato alleged in a follow-up news release that Dodger Stadium security officials insisted that a fan get out of his vehicle after a game on Aug. 17 and subsequently attacked him “without reason or provocation,” causing injuries to his face, eye, shoulder and leg. On Sept. 14, Dodger Stadium security allegedly attacked a woman after accusing members of her family of “conducting illegal activities” through their cellphones, prompting injuries to the woman’s face, chest and leg. Another incident, on Oct. 3, allegedly involved six sworn security officers grabbing a man by the hair and surrounding him when he refused to leave the stadium for inappropriate language, causing injuries to his head, neck and back.
The Dodgers, who play their home opener Thursday, have been informed of the suits but have chosen not to respond, according to diDonato’s firm, which provided photos of the plaintiffs’ injuries and also included a video of the third incident.
“Dodgers fans demand that ownership immediately change the heavy-handed security policies at Dodger Stadium that has been present since the 2011 Brian Stow tragedy,” diDonato wrote in a statement. “The answer is not more security, but smarter security, including transparency with fans and the public, and the discipline of security personnel when necessary to maintain confidence in the system.”