Fan violence breaks out at 49ers-Raiders game
Mayors Ed Lee of San Francisco and Jean Quan of Oakland said football games “are family events and the types of images we witnessed last night have no place in our arenas.”
SAN FRANCISCO – Altercations between fans, including several fights and two
shootings, took place at a preseason matchup between the San Francisco 49ers
and Oakland Raiders at Candlestick Park on Saturday, August 20th. Youtube videos,
apparently posted by onlookers, show melees involving multiple individuals.
In a statement posted on the 49ers website, Mayors Ed Lee of San Francisco and
Jean Quan of Oakland said football games “are family events and the types of
images we witnessed last night have no place in our arenas.” They promised to
prosecute perpetrators “to the fullest extent of the law.”
The San Francisco 49ers also released a statement pledging to investigate the
incidents in cooperation with the San Francisco Police Department. The NFL echoed
that sentiment and promised to conduct a review of its own.
According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, a 25-year-old man was shot
in the stomach in the stadium parking lot. He is currently listed as being in fair
condition, according to press reports. Another man was shot in the face, though his
wounds were superficial.
A spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department stated that investigators
considered the two shootings to be unrelated.
In another act of violence, a 26-year-old man was struck while in a bathroom inside
the stadium, and was hospitalized in serious condition. Bystanders reported
witnessing other fistfights during the game.
A report in the San Jose Mercury News quoted an anonymous source inside the NFL
as saying that the preseason game between the 49ers and Raiders would not take
place next year. In a press conference with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Police
Chief Greg Surh, 49ers president Jed York said the game should be “postponed
for some period of time,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle. New restrictions
will be placed on tailgating at future 49ers games, the article stated.
