Santa Clara City Council to consider banning alcohol sales after halftime at 49ers games

A viral video of a Minnesota Vikings fan getting beaten up by San Francisco 49ers fans has the Santa Clara City Council considering several steps -- including the ban of alcohol sales in the second half of San Francisco 49ers home games -- to prevent such an incident from happening again at Levi’s Stadium.

Lisa Gillmor told the San Francisco Chronicle that she and two other council members have asked for some time to be set aside at Tuesday’s council meeting for the discussion of “possible actions to address health and safety issues at the stadium.”

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with the opening-night incident that was caught on a cellphone and posted on Facebook. One unarmed stadium security officer is seen trying to break up the fight.

Gillmor said that the video shows some of the bad behavior that has neighbors of the stadium upset. She said an increase in stadium security is among the options that will also be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting.

Councilwoman Teresa O’Neill said she might be in favor of cutting off alcohol sales after halftime.

“I know they make a lot of money off of alcohol sales,” she said, “but if people have an hour and a half [without alcohol] maybe they will cool down a bit.”

Even though he says most of the 30 or so arrests his officers typically make at 49ers games involve alcohol, Santa Clara Police Chief Michael Sellers doesn’t think a booze ban would do much good.

“There is an element that will still behave badly,” he said. “It’s an individual choice.”

Still, the video presents a powerful image -- one that could loom over the stadium as it prepares to host the Super Bowl early next year.

“We really need to send a message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated,” Gillmor said.