A Yankees fan who was hit by a slab of concrete that fell from the upper deck at Dodger Stadium over the weekend is speaking out on the incident, which he now says left him with a fractured rib.
Luis Ricardo Aquino, a Mexico City resident, was in his seat during Friday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees when the chunk of concrete, roughly the size of a softball, hit him in the back.
Aquino said he initially thought a Dodgers fan had thrown it at him since it was a rivalry game, but later discovered it had fallen from the deck above.
After being treated at the stadium, Aquino stayed for the game but said in an interview with KTLA on Tuesday that he was fearful of the line of questioning at the time of the incident.
“The first question the police asked me if I had papers, and I said, ‘Yes, I am on my Visa.’ I had to give them my Visa and they took it from me. I am angry because I felt discriminated against,” he said.
Aquino, who now says the incident left him with a fractured rib, explained why he refused further medical help at the time.
“The paramedics did treat me and checked my vitals, but everything seemed O.K.,” he said. “They asked if I wanted to go to a hospital, but this is not my country, so I did not feel comfortable.”
Aquino said he agreed not to file a complaint in exchange for some Dodgers merchandise and went back to his seat. Later, he was brought a jersey, some bracelets and a Max Muncy bobblehead, but said there was no follow-up or apology.
Shortly after the incident, the Dodgers installed a small section of protective netting under the top deck of the stadium in Section 10 reserve, which is located between home plate and first base.
The team told The Athletic in a statement on Saturday that they “have had professionals and experts at Dodger Stadium this morning to examine the facility and ensure its safety.”
The statement said the team would also be undertaking a longer-term review.
The post Fan struck by concrete at Dodgers game felt ‘discriminated against’ appeared first on KTLA.
