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Dodgers’ star Shohei Ohtani targeted by bomb threat, prompting police investigation in South Korea
A reported bomb threat against the Los Angeles Dodgers’ newest star Shohei Ohtani prompted a massive investigation in South Korea as the team prepares for their first game of the season in the Seoul Series.
It took nearly 150 police officers, sniffer dogs, X-ray detectors and other equipment to search Gocheok Sky Dome, in Seoul, South Korea, after learning of a tip that there was a pending threat targeting Ohtani, according to the Associated Press, citing Seoul’s Guro police station.
Lee Jin-man / AP
The Associated Press, attributing South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, says that the search was initiated when the country’s consulate general in Vancouver, Canada received an email that threatened to detonate the explosion during Wednesday’s game.
Ohtani and the Dodgers are in South Korea for the first ever Seoul Series, which pits them against the San Diego Padres for the first two games of the season. It marks the first time an official MLB game will take place in the country.
Yonhap also said that the sender of the email, which was in English, claimed to be from a Japanese lawyer. They cited police as suspecting that the message may have come from a person who sent numerous similar messages and faxes over the last year, all claiming to be froma a Japanese lawyer.
“The safety and security of our fans and everyone in the ballparks where we play are always our first priority,” MLB said in a statement sent to The Los Angeles Times.
“MLB, along with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other local officials, will continue to monitor the situation closely and take any appropriate steps throughout the event.”
Guro police said that nearly 350 officers will be active for the start of the game, according to AP.
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The game begins just after 3 a.m. in California.
The Dodgers rocked the baseball world this offseason, starting with Ohtani’s massive $700 million, 10-year contract, followed by the $325 million, 12-year deal with Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto weeks later.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.