LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Three MTA buses and 19 locations in Downtown Los Angeles were vandalized Sunday night amid people celebrating the Rams’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, police said Tuesday.
Hundreds gathered in the area of West 11th and South Figueroa streets following the big win. While police said celebrations began peacefully, as time went on, some turned violent.
Officers observed a man in a black Dodge Charger who was allegedly doing donuts in an intersection. Following a traffic stop, officers arrested 22-year-old Gregory Hunter for illegally possessing a firearm and had his vehicle impounded, police said.
A crowd that formed at West 11th and South Hope streets flooded the area, becoming “violent and boisterous,” police said.
An MTA bus entered the intersection of East 12th Street and South Grand Avenue, where the bus with passengers was surrounded by the crowd and vandalized with spray paint, police said. Some people also jumped on the roof of the bus and somehow disabled it but no one was hurt, police added.
After numerous dispersal orders were given, police said officers had projectiles thrown at them, prompting officers to move the crowd using less lethal methods.
Police said 60 people were detained during the crowd movement, but were released once they agreed to leave the area.
“While the vast majority of fans celebrated the Rams victory peacefully, there were some individuals downtown who vandalized vehicles and businesses and had to be dispersed. Follow up investigations will continue in an effort to identify those responsible for the damage and burglary,” said LAPD Chief Michel Moore in a statement.
The crowd dispersed around 12:30 a.m. Monday.
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