Wild scenes as police break up ‘violent and destructive’ Super Bowl celebrations
Police have been out in force in Los Angeles as people took to the streets in wild celebration of the LA Rams’ first win in the city.
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The streets of LA have been overtaken by rowdy football fans after the Rams won its second ever Super Bowl but first in the city.
The Rams have had a long history in the city, starting in Cleveland before moving to Los Angeles in 1946.
In 1994, the team was allowed to move to St Louis, where it won the 1999 Super Bowl.
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But in 2016, the franchise returned to LA, made the 2018 Super Bowl and moved into SoFi Stadium in 2020.
It’s been a long road for long suffering Rams fans in LA who then took to the streets in the aftermath of the 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Images of celebrating fans, videos of fireworks being fired off in the streets and wild celebrations flooded social media.
Amid the wild scenes, the Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly after “violent and destructive” Los Angeles Rams fans wreaked havoc on downtown streets.
“We are seeing violent and destructive behaviour by large crowds in the heart of the Downtown LA area,” the LAPD wrote on Twitter.
“We have issued several dispersal orders and have a large police presence. Everyone that is part of those crowds, obey all dispersal orders and clear the streets immediately.”
Later, another tweet said there was still “large, violent and destructive crowds”, adding “Those involved in criminal activity, and those failing to obey dispersal orders, are subject to arrest.”
The celebration turned chaotic near 11th and Hope streets when fans lit fireworks inside a city bus and festooned the outside with graffiti, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Kevin Rector.
The police declared it an “unlawful assembly” and told people they had 10 minutes to leave.
In a long thread, Rector posted pictures and videos as well as detailing the chaos.
He detailed a man climbing traffic lights and taking his shirt off to cheers, people taunting and throwing glass bottles towards police and police firing projectiles at people in downtown LA.
LAPD officers are firing projectiles at people in downtown Los Angeles now. pic.twitter.com/nPpxQihpN3
— Kevin Rector (@kevrector) February 14, 2022
Police also reportedly cleared a parking garage and bars in the local area as well.
He tweeted the crowd didn’t completely disperse and some moved to another area where they where “People got inside the bus and were setting off fireworks inside of it.”
He also added a video of a heavy police presence driving around LA after the drama.
There are just so many police roving around in DTLA right now. pic.twitter.com/iJZxwsy1l9
— Kevin Rector (@kevrector) February 14, 2022
In another wild scene captured on camera, dozens of fans celebrate in standstill traffic as some hop onto the roof of a yellow cab.
One of the men even whacked the cab’s roof with an orange construction cone before hopping off, according to the footage posted by Fox LA anchor Marla Tellez.
LAPD dispersing crowds in downtown LA and then this: pic.twitter.com/c1jJnUzv2T
— MarlaTellez (@MarlaTellez) February 14, 2022
LA Times reporter Jeong Park tweeted that fans were spray painting a metro bus with “Rams” while other stood atop it, despite there being passengers riding the bus.
People are now spraying "Rams" on a Silver Line Metro bus (with passengers in it) moving south on Grand Avenue pic.twitter.com/hDWC7cpOkx
— Jeong Park 박종찬 (@JeongPark52) February 14, 2022
BREAKING: LAPD has declared an unlawful assembly. Streamer’s footage shows a bus being vandalized after the LA Rams won the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/oOhmRVGj4s
— The Cruz Show (@TheCruzShow) February 14, 2022
There was also video shot of people looting from local stores.
Happening now in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/Lr4HrXBGGo
— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) February 14, 2022
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva tweeted after the crowd had been dispersed.
“Our @LASDHQ Sheriff’s Response Team provided exceptional public safety service to @CityofInglewood. A rowdy crowd in East Los Angeles has been dispersed by our SRT. Currently there are no violent or unruly crowds affecting Sheriff’s jurisdictions,” he wrote.
“Our Deputies will be deployed if assistance is needed from other jurisdictions.”
CBS Los Angeles also reported one person had been shot in East Los Angeles during the celebrations, although the person’s condition was not know.
The New York Post also reported the LAPD did not immediately announce any arrests.
The scenes were similar to the scenes after the LA Lakers won its 17th title in 2020 and saw fans flood the streets.
However, Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson might have to skip the celebrations after he rushed from the stadium as his wife went into labour with his second child during the game.
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