49ers fan sues Rams over ‘cold-cocked’ punch that left him in coma outside SoFi Stadium
A San Francisco 49ers fan has sued the Los Angeles Rams over a “cold-cocked†punch that left him in a medically induced coma outside the NFC championship game at SoFi Stadium last season, according to a lawsuit.
Daniel Luna filed lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday over the altercation that occurred while he was watching the Jan. 30 Rams-49ers playoff matchup on a big screen outside the stadium in Lot L. The incident drew scrutiny after officials in Inglewood failed to acknowledge it for three days.
The lawsuit laid out the basics of the attack from Luna’s perspective.
“At some point during the second quarter, after a score was made by the 49’ers, the group began to celebrate with the exception of [Bryan Alexis Cifuentes],†the lawsuit says. “At that time [Luna] made contact with [Cifuentes] from behind and walked away, at which point [Cifuentes] pursued and pushed [Luna] from behind. As [Luna] turned around, [Cifuentes] ‘cold cocked’ [Luna], who was defenseless with his arms by his side.â€
Luna fell to the ground and hit his head.
As good as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills played, the Rams struggled with a number of issues in their first game since winning the Super Bowl.
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. painted a slightly different picture of the fight, saying at a press conference at the time that Luna pushed Cifuentes from behind, starting the fight.
The civil action is the latest ripple in the story. Bryan Alexis Cifuentes was arrested Feb. 4 and charged with battery. His case is pending, and he pleaded not guilty in August to the charge.
Luna was found around 30 minutes into the game, bleeding on the ground outside Lot L, which sits off Stadium Drive across from an artificial lake just south of the stadium.
He was taken to the hospital and Inglewood police said they did not begin investigating until later that night, when emergency room personnel at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center informed them that Luna had suffered possible assault injuries.
Several Dodgers fans allege security staff committed acts of assault, battery, false imprisonment, civil rights violations and emotional distress.
Luna, a restaurateur from Oakland, came out of his coma in March and his family said he was starting a rehab stint.
The suit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages, also names Cifuentes as a defendant.
Luna could not immediately be reached through his attorney. The Rams did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The defending Super Bowl champion Rams kicked off the season Thursday with a 31-10 loss at home to the Buffalo Bills.
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