(WWJ) East Lansing police released a rundown of incidents in the immediate aftermath of Michigan State University men's NCAA Final Four basketball game on Saturday, April 6.
Long story short: The team lost, some fans went crazy.
The worst of it started when a crowd gathered in the intersection of River Street and Waters Edge Drive in East Lansing immediately following a game.
Police said approximately 30 minutes after gathering, the crowd moved to the Grand River-Woodmere intersection and blocked the roadway.
"Soon after assembling on Grand River Avenue, the crowd began to tear down street signs and throw glass bottles into the air, effectively making the gathering a civil disturbance," police wrote in a press release.
The crowd is estimated to have consisted of 1,200 to 1,500 people at its peak.
Scenes from East Lansing as students react to MSU's loss in the Final Four. @thesnews pic.twitter.com/OIeDHG2K4e
— Anntaninna Biondo (@ninnabiondo) April 7, 2019
Police responded from multiple agencies, and dispersed the crowd "in its entirety without the use of chemical crowd management devices."
The East Lansing Fire Department and assisting agencies also responded to 10 small fires in other areas of the city.
"These fires consisted of small pieces of furniture and there were no significantly sized crowds gathered around these fires," police said.
In the end, several people were arrested for illegal activity at the gathering on Grand River Avenue and in other areas of East Lansing.
Here are some statistics and additional details:
Number of Arrests: 23; 22 misdemeanors and one felony
Number of Fires: 10
Property Damage: two street signs and one police van
Assisting agencies included the Michigan State Police, Michigan State
University Police Department, Ingham County Sheriff's Office (including the Mounted Unit), Eaton County Sheriff's Office, Meridian Township Police Department, Lansing Police Department and Clinton County
Sheriff's Office.
