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5 officers injured during post-Laker win celebrations

2009-06-15 16:51:52 (GMT) (Caymanmama.com - Top Stories sports News)

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LA Lakers melees - AP image

Sacramento, California (CaymanMama.com) — The L.A. Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic with a final score of 99-86 in Game 5 of the NBA finals Sunday night, marking the team’s 15th championship and first in seven years.

Once the celebrations began, it was hard to get it to stop and it soon turned ugly when some rowdy fans began throwing rocks and bottles, leaving five police officers with minor injuries.

Police reported Monday that police cruisers were vandalized, windows on public buses were broken and fires were lit in the street. Seventeen were put under arrest Sunday night after police declared the congregation an unlawful assembly, authorities said.

Five officers were treated for minor injuries, Sgt. Andy Mathes said. One of the injured police officers was transported to a hospital.

According to the Associated Press, “Television footage showed people jumping on police cars, rocking vehicles attempting to pass through the crowd, setting small trees on fire and throwing bricks at empty buses. A gas station and a shoe store were looted, police said.”

Chief William Bratton told a local radio station that police will be asked to watch the video so that they can better  identify vandals and make further arrests.

Bratton did a great job showing restraint despite “a lot of provocation from a number of knuckleheads,” he told KTTV-TV.

“It’s not easy to stand there when cowards in the middle of the crowd are throwing rocks and bottles at them,” Bratton said.

The 17 people arrested were charged with disturbing the peace, arson, outstanding warrants and other infractions, Rayner said.



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