8 LAPD officers injured in Lakers celebrations [Updated]

[Updated at 8:55 a.m.: Police say they have arrested two residents of a downtown L.A. loft for receiving stolen property after the couple picked up some athletic shoes that had been stolen from a looted shoe store. That would bring the total number of arrests in Sunday night's post-Lakers-victory melee to 23. Investigators also said they will be reviewing video to identify other people involved in the violence.]

Eight Los Angeles police offers suffered minor injuries and 21 people were arrested during Lakers victory celebrations that turned riotous outside the Staples Center, authorities said today.

Following the Lakers’ 99-86 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, officers faced small groups of revelers in downtown Los Angeles who shook passing cars, threw debris and sparked fires.

Twelve government vehicles, including six MTA buses, were damaged, and one traffic light was knocked down, said LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman. Metro Blue Line trains were delayed because of debris on the tracks, and a gas station, a pharmacy and a shoe store were looted, she said.

Shoe store owner Richard Torres arrived at his business Sunday night just after the alarm company called to tell him there was a break-in. What he discovered was disheartening: His vintage-style stock of sneakers had been ravaged and shoe boxes were strewn along the sidewalk.

“I have the video camera, and it’s a flood of people running into the store and grabbing what they could,” he said today as he stood among the remnants of his inventory. “What’s really awful is they took the stuff and they started burning it. It’s just disappointing.”

The LAPD did not have an estimate of the damage that included graffiti, broken windows, torched billboards and news boxes, a police official said. Six of the injured officers were taken to a hospital for treatment and released.

-- Corina Knoll and Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[Tony]

Celebrations? Don't confuse a celebration with a bunch of criminals banding together to rob and pillage. The police officers should've been advised to open fire on them. Society would be better off without the likes of them.

[olivia merlos]

What LA Times?? No criticism of the hoodlums who hurt the police officers but yet if it would of have been the officers hurting the scums it would of made your front page no?

[Duane]

We are SO blessed by our cultural and ethnic diversity

[abc]

what a disgrace to the city of LA and to the Lakers. can't even celebrate a victory without acting like complete jackasses. way to take advantage of committing crimes East LA. and only 20-25 arrests? come on.

[Jason]

Yay, I'm so happy our team won, let's go and vandalize and loot and set fires to celebrate b/c we are such good citizens!

[Anne]

Lakers win and L.A. riots? I wonder what would've happened if Lakers lost. It's so embarrassing that in L.A., people want to destroy its own city. I don't live in L.A. but I really am embarrassed for how people conducted themselves yesterday. It's annoying to see people be so disrespectful like this.

[Donna Horn]

Celebrations? You have got to be kidding! If I destroy my neighbors property celebrating my child's college graduation no one would be calling that a celebration, it would be called what it is, a criminal act.

[Chris Evans]

It's disgusting. I'm ashamed to be an Angelino today. I hope the d-bags who were arrested are find to within an inch of homelessness for the damage they caused.

[just joe]

And these are "fans" that want a parade? This is it! They've had their fun. Now lock down the city.

[Taffy]

this is why lakers should never be in the finals again!

[Tim]

I am SO sick of the media calling this a celebration!!! Listen up all of you high school dropouts that call yourself reporters...this stopped being a celebration the minute the first fire was lit. The reason LAPD did nothing is because we have a Cheif that is worthless and has his lips stuck to the ass of a worthless mayor who has hopes of being another worthless Governor! There is supposed to be a decision today on if the Consent Decree will be lifted on the LAPD and you can bet Mayor Tony and Chief idiot weren't going to risk anything on the eve of that huge decision.
LA needs to grow a pair!
Set this right and cancle the Parade! which by the way the city is paying at least half of...umm I thought we were broke?

[Chris Klee]

For a second the night reminded me of one big gang fight in jail. Organized hits on cop cars, looting and pillaging has nothing to do with basketball...

[Jeremy]

So will the Reverend Al Sharpton come out and denounce these actions, which are touched off by nothing more than ignorant adults encouraged by the "blame someone else" culture our society has embraced.

[ajdX3]

Where is Chief Gates when we need him?

[Jenn]

And yet we're still going to pay for a stupid parade. There should be NO parade. Here they are complaining that there's no money for any services yet all of a sudden there's 1.1 million for a parade???

[Hmmm]

Should have placed all the rioters in front of a firing squad.

[KK]

LA do have a sizeable gang numbers. They probably outnumbered the police and LAPD is afraid of lawsuit too. So time to leave the city because we are on our own when social order breakdowns.

[Jen]

L.A. is in the middle of the worst budget crisis in history and these rioters, looters, and mob-mentality idiots have cost the city even more money it doesn't have. City police had to stay past their shifts to babysit them and later to have to escort fire fighters to put out fires in and around Staples Center. When the money runs out and these rioters have their own needs of city services - and are turned way from emergency rooms, the city office, or there are no police or fire to answer their call, will they remember their actions - and these consequences?

[Disgusted]

Do the right thing.....Cancel the parade! Dodgers....please don't win the World Series!

[Laker Rude]

As a lifelong Laker fan from Texas and a recent visitor to LA, I am appalled at the actions by a few idiots.

Are you all too stupid to realize that you are destroying your own city? Get off the chronic and please remove your Laker shirts and Jerseys, you are not TRUE Laker Fans!

Come on Angelinos, if you are on a jury for these IDIOTS, throw the PROVERBIAL BOOK at them and JAIL them till their grandkids can vote.......

From Texas, I'm OUT!

[rick]

OPEN BORDERS NOW !!!!

[Jack McGraw]

In all the pictures the L.A. Times published of the post-victory rioting and looting, I didn't see one Asian or white person. Celebrate diversity!

[richard teraoka]

Very ghetto, L.A.

[Warren]

IIs THIS what the LAPD learned in the much ballyhooed retraining following the infamous Mayday melee? Stand by and watch people take to the streets and 'celebrate' by uprooting trees, lighting fires, vandalizing police cars, and hurl fireworks. It is indeed lucky, just that, lucky, no one was hit by any cars. What a disgraceful scene.

[George]

Laker fans number in the hundreds of thousands. The idiots who misbehaved last night neither represent Laker fans nor the good citizens of our city. Let's not throw out the baby with the bath water by letting those few criminals ruin one of the very few "feel good" things that has happened for L.A. While the damage appears to have been limited, one has to wonder if the police response was adequate. If our police force was so easily overwhelmed by a small group (I saw the aerial coverage on T.V.) of thugs, what would have happened if the Lakers had won at home and there would have been tens of thousands of "fans" instead of a few. Who's in charge of our public safety?

[Andrews]

Don't believe your lying eyes about anarchy in downtown
after the Lakers game , the ACLU makes the LAPD turn a blind eye and the MSM says its just all in good fun.....?!

[Louie]

I KNOW that the news outlets got some good screenshots of exactly who were up to no good. Send those screenshots to Staples center and BAN their sorry faces from any future Laker games for life.

On a side note, I wish the LAPD would have saved their energy spent on the May day parade a couple of years ago and put the smack down on these morons instead.

[RZ]

Make everyone who is arrested for looting, vandalism, etc., in connection to the Lakers' victory become the clean-up crew for the parade and the next 20 events at the Staples Center. That'll teach them!

[j-Dub]

If LA is concern about these riots after the Lakers winning a championship...just have David Stern get the Celtics to meet them in the Finals.

[aaron]

Its a shame to behave like that, i hope there were plenty of video coverage so that the district attorney can file charges and make them stick..lets hope the media wiil cover this, perhaps the rioters will get a message.

[Mr.G]

What these IDIOTS did is stupid... And there should be NO parade!!!

To: Olivia Merlos

just because it says that 8 officers were hurt it does not mean that they were hurt by the stupid fans...
If these stupid cops trip over themselves and sprain their wrist they will blame it on the stupid crowd.
If they are chasing someone and they trip the person being chased is charged with assault.

So dont compare that to when these cops are swinging the baton at old people and kids in the park!!!

[Gerry Gomez]

Tired of losers like these idiots ruining a good thing. Can't take my kid to Dodger games, don't want to take family to the park and won't go to the parade -in fact please cancel it. Maybe let Dr. Buss pay for a fan fare at convention center or similar but I'm not for LA footing the bill on another opportunity for these idiots to sh*t where the rest of us sleep. For 1.1 million, put more cops on the street policing this crap and get the idiots off of it. Stealing shoes and burning them - has the boarder moved up to Figeroa and Chick Hearn way?

[Omar]

LAPD should look into Facebook or Myspace since many were taking pictures of themselves doing the damage. Plus the pictures could be tagged with their names, Identifying themselves and off to the slammer they go

[Eric of Reseda]

Wonder how many of these people consumed alcohol last night? Or were typical of today's youths who act like gangsta-wannabes, and hence, behave accordingly? Or lacked education and couldn't name the capitol of California if their life depended on it? Or came from communities that suffer from too much violence, lack of education, poverty or near-poverty, etc., etc., etc.? There is a cancer growing in this country, has been for a long, long time. This is just and yet another symptom. Anarchy is fast approaching, people. Trilliions on Iraq & idiotic wars? Or trillions on education and community building? I say, the enemy is within...

[troy]

In Europe, not only do WHITE people riot after soccer games, win or lose, they chant in unison by the thousands racist slurs against the players. So for all of you here who've made indirect bigoted remarks, maybe you need to examine your white brethren in your motherland.

[Sneemdream]

These low grade morons are NOT fans. (or knuckleheads)... ...they are CRIMINALS

[Anon]

Yet, Parks and the City Council will STILL pay up for a parade and more of this type of foolishness. What they're NOT telling you is that very shortly, they are furloughing the 911 operators - the people who answered your calls last night during all this madness, the people who helped make sure the police were dispatched to deal with all this insanity, etc, etc. But Parks and the City Council believe that it's acceptable to reduce the number of 911 operators, on a daily basis, to help balance the budget. This will mean a longer wait time when you call 911, and the very real possibility that someone will be seriously injured because of this wait time. But they'll pay for a parade...it makes you wonder where their priorities are, doesn't it? Because they don't seem to be with your health and safety. If this scares you, makes you mad, or is just plain unacceptable, call your City Council member, call the Mayor's office - let them know that your safety is important.

[justin hall]

Classy. You know, Boston may have a Puritan reputation, but at least we don't tear our city apart when our sports teams win.

[M]

Don't blame all Angelinos for this act of stupidity! I'm a native and am apalled by the behavior of these idiots who have no idea how to conduct themselves as adults. Why no white or Asian looters? Uh, maybe they KNOW better not to loot and destroy the city in times of victory!! They need to call in the national guard to control thoose low life idiots!!

[REPRESENT]

Soooooooooooooooooooooo Sad....... A city paralyzed because of poor leadership. I went to the mayors website, and not one time, in any place did he mention crime, gangs or how he would combat them, he has the notion that you can change a hardened gang member, by showing them love.
Mr. Mayor, if you caught a virus on your computer, it doesn't matter how many programs you put on top of it, it's still going to run inadequate, you have to first remove the virus, where the infrastructure can be sound, and build on top of it.
You have communities of legal and illegal residents, afraid to live like Los Angeles is a free society, because of the growing gang population, and the fast moving drug trade. The longer you play the game the stronger and more organized they become. Before long you will find yourself in Mexico's shoes.
It may just be me, but maybe President Obama gets the picture, that you can't protect the people from the suds on the top, without dealing with the sludge on the bottom.
You can't focus on a war on terror in Iraq, and ignore the terror on Americans right here in Los Angeles.
You can't have war on drugs in Mexico, and contemplate legalizing drugs in California. You can't be for something, and be against the same thing at the same time.
If I had one wish, it would for our elected officials to stand true to the oath, when they were sworn in, and not their personal interpretations afterwards, and if they can't muster the will, simply step down, and allow someone else that does.

[SgtJohnMStryker]

LAPD Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz should be severly reprimanded by the Police Commission and Chief Bratton for allowing numerous black/white squad cars to be left unattended and unguarded by uniform personnel. As we all witnessed, via KCAL9 News, there were numerous gang bangers (mexican of course) who decided to vandalize more than just several squad cars. This is unacceptable and should have been forcasted prior to and during this melee. Their is no excuse this time by the infamous LAPD for not protecting our taxpayer funded property..

[Rick Graham]

LA promotes this stuff because the leaders of the city are a bunch of gutless wonders,. Grow a pair and act like men and put a stop to this non sense. If you're out numbered get the guard. If these annimals want to get tough. Get tougher.
LA has just turned into a cesspool.

[Robert]

I'm trying not to be ashamed of my Mexican-American heritage right now because of the uncivilized behavior of these morons. They make all Mexicans look bad.

[Sneemdream]

Olivia M. You said it!!
L A Times only cares about "professional victims".
They can't do enough to condemn those who try to keep L A semi safe & civilized.
Is The Times going to run endless articles about 3rd world criminals wantonly destroying our city???

[Stacy]

How pathetic these Laker's fans are. All I saw in those pictures are ignorant loser's who used the Lakers win as a chance to destroy things and steal. How embarresed they must feel today. LA officials should also be embaressed too that at a time where homeless rates are at there highest and people are getting laid off they are planning to waste a million+ dollars on a celebration Wedsday for the Lakers. So sad.

[Mark]

It's really sad to see these poor police officers having to sit there like targets, while these animals assault them. This is what happens when political correctness crosses over into absurdity. Most every law abiding citizen in this country would have no problem with the police using less than lethal tools on these monkeys at the first sign of trouble. We understand that behavior like this is bad for society. But we have politicians and activists who have become too powerful, and we've lost the concepts of right and wrong, and of standards. Folks, LA is lost, and the rest of the country will soon follow. Evolution seems to be going the wrong way.

[Claire]

Bunch of pathetic people acting like tough shots infront of police because theres a crowd infront of them to show off. To all those wannabe thugs with their HOOMIES, this is why you get treated like crap by police. And one more thing to those wanna be THUGS, you aint a true gangster when can defend yourself and have your hommies backing you up, Cowards!.

[Observer]

Riots always occur in Los Angeles due to too many low life and illiterate living out there. City is broke and going down. It is comparable to third world coutry.

[thirteenburn]

This type of criminal behavior, and those who are perpatrating said behavior, are a direct result, and an indictment of the PC mentality that YOUR Mayor, Tony Villar (his REAL name, look it up under California university campus riots in the 60's) and his uber-liberal brethren have foisted upon the citizenry of Los Angeles.

Such a shame too, as it used to be such a great place to live and I should know, I lived there for five years. But once it became obvious that the best way for L.A. LEA to handle the gang problem is to blame everyone else, I moved away never to look back nor visit.

You want to put your state back on top and in the black? Take back your city!! There's a reason it's now know the world over as Mexifornia. I also suggest you read how your state and it's monitary woes are reported on in other countries. A real eye opener from those who aren't yet neutered by raging political correctness couched in a raging "White Guilt" of our "leadership".

You get the government you deserve and if you don't like how things are going, stop being a bucket carrier for your side of t he political aisle and VOTE in a realistic, issues based ideology and maybe, just maybe, you can take what was one time the greatest city and state in the nation to it's former glory.

[Rob]

These idiots are the same jerks that tag our freeways and litter our streets. I did notice how overweight they were...seems like those wearing "Kobe" jerseys should get into fitness rather than destroying our city. They are anarchists looking for an opportunity to destroy. Most Laker fans are not of this type!

[tanaS]

Seeing the knuckledraggers out and about LA makes me glad I don't have to put up with that criminality anymore. I could not wait to leave Los Angeles with its many problems. You can have IT!

[Wendy Hughes]

Enjoying sports and pride in our home team is supposed to be a wholesome activity. It was with dismay that I felt all the joy over the Lakers' victory draining out of me when I noticed the unmistakable flicker of a fire set in front of Staples Center in the news coverage after the game last night. I could not believe my ears when Chief Bratton seemed to be prepared to stand by and allow the escalating violence. Maybe it was concern over the May Day excesses, but this was clearly getting out of hand and was no longer exuberance over a sports victory. The moment there was an open fire on a public sidewalk it should have been a signal that a responsible adult should take over and disperse the crowd, especially if they could be told to come back on Wednesday.

Of course there are soccer riots in other places -- but I am a citizen of LA, and it ticks me off that in addition to having to repair the damage caused by the "revelers" last night, including the hospital bills for the injured officers, the repair bills for the government vehicles, and the trees, I'm not sure I want to pay for a parade instead of having other municipal services. The fracas last night has kind of ruined it for me now.

[Chris B.]

OK so 99.9 percent of the idiots that took to the street were Latinos and believe me it pisses off decent Latin citizens when this trash makes us look bad. It spawns comments like those of Jack and Duane that sarcastically praise our racial/ethnic diversity. There is good and bad in all races. It would pretty asinine of me if I thought all whites were like Jeffery Dahmer or all blacks were like OJ. Having said that I really want to see our legal system come down on these people so hard that it sets an example.

[steve]

its crazy how many are easy to point the finger ! but you yourselves have done this also while you were in your younger years ! THIS IS LA CULTURE DONT FORGET IT ! the bald heads the tattoos this is los angeles and when many have the chance we celebrate so why hate if you dont like it then leave ! this is our city our future and you have chosen the path by choosing leaders that dont care about the depression we are in or the fact that police abuse their authority all the time. now they get attacked and now its a big deal ?? your all idiots

[Chuy Dee]

Hey Justin Hall, no riots in Boston after winning a championship? Nice try, but your L.A. Lakers hate is blinding you to your beloved Boston's own classless behavior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEqwt81wiN4

Auerbach's record is gone and your Celtics are losers this season. Deal with it.

The sad fact is that an ignorant few will look for any reason to get away with mayhem, regardless of city, color, sex, creed...

[Anonymous Officer]

I am an LAPD officer but need to stay anonymous due to possible retaliation by the Command Staff (it still happens) if my identity is discovered. Here's my take on what happened at the Lakers "celebration." This is the opinion of vast majority of field officers if you'll ask them and they can stay totally anonymous.

Most of the Command Staff are gutless and can't make a decision when things get bad. When the Department is running "normally" with no major incident or "unusual occurance (UO)" they act like they can't do no wrong. They act like they are Gods. When something like the Lakers "celebration" occurs, they always seem to fail to anticipate that problems will occur and plan accordingly. Vast majority of field officers knew that idiots will be "celebrating" the Lakers championship by causing disturbance (history repeats itself). The Command Staff did not deploy enough officers, did not have the resources in place to deal with the idiots swiftly and decisively, did not authorize the field officers to use force to stop the idiots as problems initially started. Instead, they normally will back off and force the field supervisors to make high level decisions. The reason for that is if something "bad" happens, they can't be blamed for it and they can accuse the field supervisor of failing to anticipate or making a bad judgement call. They themselves are shielded from making a decision that didn't work. For example, the officers standing in the skirmish line were taking rocks and bottles. Incident Command OIC should have authorized the poor officers to use force swiftly and decisively to stop it immediately. I'm fairly confident that a typical decision was to let the idiots continue while the officers continue to hold the skirmish line. In the meanwhile, the anti-social behaviors of the idiots grow more bold because the LAPD isn't responding harshly to stop it. Only when things started getting bad, then the LAPD will respond.... but it's a bit too late. If a field supervisor makes a "high level command decision" to arrest people exhibiting anti-social behavior and it results in major UOF (Use of Force) especially if it's caught on tape, then the Command Staff will wash their hands of the "bad" decision and blame the supervisor for failure of leadership. LAPD Command Staff should have immediately, swiftly, decisively, and HARSHLY ended the "celebration" by allowing police officers to do their jobs and arrest those setting "celebration" bon-fires, vandalizing police cars and property, and disturbing the peace.

[KinOfCain]

@justin hall: How old are you that you don't even remember the riots when the Red Sox won the world series in 2004?

[Junebug]

It is a SAD day when my children have to witness gang violence brought on by "LOS LEYKERS" fans that probably don't even understand the concept of the game. Thanks to the idiots on Whittier Blvd (near Leonard) for fighting in the parking lot and making kids in cars scream. I agree with the person that said hopefully the Dodgers don't win the World Series.

[Traci]

Are you serious Justin Hall? A woman was KILLED by the police who were breaking up the riots and crazed crowds after the Red Sox win in 2004.

[Michael S]

It happened in Boston last year, too, so the pull-out quote on the page about how Bostonians are classier than Los Angelenos is ridiculous. There were also riots after the Red Sox won. This happens in every city after a major sports team wins a championship.

[trae]

If the LAPD is reduced to standing idly, in fact I was waiting for them to brake dance, they were lined up so perfectly; isn't there a dye that could be sprayed on faces of these thugs that would be semi-permanent and removable with police chemicals? Any employer (if they were involved and went to work with dye on them would know) as well as an easy way to identify them versus photos. I know this dye has been used on clothing in retail stores if you remove the tag you are covered with this dye. At least if the police have to idly stand by and see property destroyed and lives threatened it would be a tool, as from what I saw they had no tools other than restraint. Sad it is~

[William]

I was born and raised in Boston. Rioting happens even in Boston, remember the Patriots a few years back? When they won...cars overturned and rioting. So much for puritans.

[Lynn]

EXCELLENT POST Anonymous Officer .
Thankyou for your insight. I long for the days when LAPD was pro active. God knows Chief Gates would NEVER have allowed that.

[Anthony]

Nobody died. A young woman died in Boston during the 2004 Red Sox "celebration." Boston lies on the banks of denial.

[Kat]

Congrats to the Lakers!!!! Parade day, they need to have more officers out and enforce the violence better than they did.
Just a few people had to screw it up for everyone else, how chilldish is that?
C'mon LAPD let the thousands of people that want to celebrate the Lakers do so, the others.........arrest them!!!

[Darren]

It reminds me of a Dodgers game I once attended as a visiting fan. Hispanic gang bangers of various ages throwing things at me and my wife and making threatening gestures and actling like a bunch of hyenas in a pack. We weret in the FAMILY SECTION. Little hispanic kids were laughing at us. I'd never let my kids think that was funny. Very sad. Those are the type of bafoons that ruined a Lakers championship night. It's just sad.