Brawls among fans at SoFi Stadium follow fight between Chargers and Cowboys

A Chargers fan dressed in lucha libre gear passionately cheers at SoFi Stadium during a thrilling Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Unfortunately, this spirited match between the Chargers and Cowboys was marred by violence in the stands, contradicting a recent study that named SoFi Stadium as one of the NFL’s safer venues.

Multiple fan fights were captured in video clips circulating on X, previously known as Twitter.

Interestingly, the players initiated the first physical altercations even before the game began. As Dallas was warming up on the field, several Cowboys ran through the Chargers’ defensive backs, interrupting their pregame drills.

“I found that incredibly disrespectful, especially on our home turf,” expressed Chargers safety Dean Marlowe. “It just goes to show that they have no respect for us. Personally, I took it as a personal affront.”

The coaches and a game official eventually intervened, but not before Cowboys defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. delivered a blow to Chargers running back Austin Ekeler’s head, knocking off his helmet.

Soon enough, fans started imitating their heroes.

A fight broke out on a concourse exit involving a dozen or more fans, resulting in several individuals being knocked to the ground. Additional fights occurred in the stands.

Read more: Is SoFi Stadium dangerous for fans? A study indicates many other NFL venues are worse

According to the Inglewood Police Department, no fans involved in the fights were arrested.

Typically, alcohol contributes to violent fan behavior, and an evening game ending after 8 p.m. most likely led to increased drinking compared to a daytime game. The Cowboys managed to secure a 20-17 lead with a late field goal, and in the game’s final moments, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw an intercepted pass.

According to a recent poll conducted by Sportsbook Review with over 3,000 participants, many NFL stadiums experience more violence than SoFi Stadium. Furthermore, fans generally feel safe attending games at the venue, which opened in September 2020.

Unfortunately, crimes in and around stadiums occur too frequently. Of the respondents, 39.2% reported witnessing or falling victim to at least one crime inside or outside the stadiums. Only 5.4% of fans witnessed a crime at SoFi Stadium, and just one of those polled claimed to have been a victim of a crime while attending a Rams or Chargers home game.

However, this does not dismiss the occurrence of violent incidents at the Inglewood venue. In November 2022, a man was thrown over a railing following the Kansas City Chiefs’ win against the Chargers.

Read more: Man thrown over railing in violent brawl outside SoFi Stadium after Chargers game

Eight months prior to this incident, Bryan Alexis Cifuentes faced a felony count of battery with serious bodily injury for his involvement in a fight in the stadium’s parking lot during the NFC championship game between the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. This brawl left the victim, Daniel Luna, in an induced coma.

In the November 2022 incident, a bystander recorded a video showing two men fighting, with one of them wearing what appeared to be a Chargers jersey. At one point, one of the men was thrown over the railing and fell onto the concrete steps below. However, he managed to get up afterwards, as shown in the video.

SoFi Stadium did not perform well in a category concerning female fans. When asked if they felt comfortable alone in or around their team’s stadium, a staggering 62.5% of respondents felt uncomfortable at SoFi. This number was only surpassed by the 73.7% of women who felt uncomfortable alone at Ford Field in Detroit.

Considering the events that unfolded on Monday night, these percentages would likely increase in another poll.

Read more: How dangerous is going to a ballgame at Dodger Stadium?

Times staff writer Jeff Miller contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published in the Los Angeles Times.