76 People Arrested, 8 Police Injured During Celebration in LA After Lakers' Win

Eight police officers were injured, two people were hurt after being fired upon with "less lethal munitions" by police, and 76 people were arrested as Los Angeles took to the streets late Sunday night to celebrate the Lakers' 2020 NBA championship.

The Los Angeles Police Department released the following statement:

"What started out as a largely peaceful celebration of the Los Angeles Lakers NBA championship in downtown Los Angeles, turned into confrontational, violent and destructive behavior late last night.

"A crowd of more than 1,000 revelers descended into the area around Staples Center after the game. Unruly individuals mixed within the crowd began throwing glass bottles, rocks, and other projectiles at officers.

"That is when an unlawful assembly was declared, and only a limited number of people complied and began to disperse. A larger portion of the group broke off and began vandalizing businesses while continuing to engage in violent behavior, some aimed at responding officers.

"In total, 76 individuals were arrested for Vandalism, Assault on a Police Officer, and Failure to Disperse."

The demonstrations violated the Los Angeles County ordinance banning large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there were fewer people in the streets than a typical L.A. celebration, the gatherings still greatly exceeded recommendations, and few in the crowd were wearing masks.

The California Highway Patrol prevented the crowd from growing by shutting down off-ramps to downtown Los Angeles.

According to the statement, more than 30 buildings suffered damage, and some businesses were looted during the celebration.