Police arrested dozens of people after a crowd celebrating the Los Angeles Lakers’s NBA championship descended into violent riots Sunday, police said.
A total of 76 people were apprehended by law enforcement, over 30 buildings were damaged and eight officers were injured by violent demonstrators after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, according to a Monday tweet from Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The department estimated roughly 1,000 “revelers” descended on California streets, some of whom hurled projectiles at officers during an “unlawful assembly.”
Last night’s largely peaceful celebration in Downtown LA of the Lakers championship turned into confrontational, violent & destructive behavior.
Latest details:
76 arrested
30+ buildings damaged
8 officers injured
2 injured by less lethal munitions fired by our officers pic.twitter.com/BZ2nYWHz3c
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 12, 2020
Motorists were reportedly harassed by the crowd and some were reportedly pulled from their vehicles and beaten, according to CBS News. At least two businesses were looted by the mob of NBA fans, CBS reported.
Video showed a group of people, many donning Lakers jerseys, surrounding, kicking and throwing objects at a police cruiser that was forced to back away.
Fans go after a police car after the Lakers championship pic.twitter.com/d4AMTMj1O1
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) October 12, 2020
Other footage showed a mass crowd igniting fireworks while cars engaged in burnouts in the middle of the street.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 12, 2020
Video posted by a contributor for Los Angeles Magazine appeared to show a group of people looting a Starbucks, as graffiti and broken windows could be observed.
People are looting the Starbucks pic.twitter.com/YgTUr1Hnp3
— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) October 12, 2020
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