Dodgers VP Of Security, Guest Management Takes Stand In Civil Case Of Bryan Stow
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) - Dodgers Vice President security and guest management Shahram Ariane took the stand Thursday, testifying that he left the Dodgers because the team decided to have less off-duty police during the games at Dodgers Stadium.
In the the civil case of Bryan Stow's negligence lawsuit against former owner Frank McCourt, Ariane said the reduction of police was not a revamping of the team police, but rather a philosophical move.
He said it wasn't smart to have officers transition to wearing polo shirts rather than wearing the police uniform.
"People behave differently with a uniformed police officer as opposed to a person in a polo shirt with the word `security' on the back," Ariane said.
Ariane began working for the Dodgers in September of 2005 and left March 2010 after the LAPD uniform policy changed. He returned to the team a year later in March to help finalize a team security training manual.
Stow suffered permanent brain damage when he was brutally beaten in the parking lot following a Dodgers opening day game at Chavez Ravine in March 31, 2011.
Stow's attorney claim the attackers should have been kicked out during the game for unruly behavior and that more uniformed police within the stadium could have acted as a deterrent to their behavior.
According to Ariane only 19 uniformed police officers and 59 off-duty law enforcement officers were present on the day of the beating.
With the new ownership of the Dodgers, Ariane returned to manage security for the club.
Frank McCourt will take the stand next week.
