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By the Numbers: The Lakers Rowdy Celebration Aftermath
Lakers win or lose, people were probably planning to use it as an excuse to get a little crazy. And despite warnings from the mayor and LAPD, people took crazy to the streets. Even before the game was over, about four had been arrested for public drunkenness. But as the night went on, those numbers went up.
When all was done and told, sometime after midnight, there were 38 arrests. All were adults except two juveniles. 34 were men, four were females. One person was questioned and released. Reasons for arrests ranged the gamut, from 11 for public drunkenness and seven for assaults on police officers -- even some were arrested on warrants. Over at the LA Times, reporters note that more arrests will likely be made after videos and photos from the event are examined.
As for the Los Angeles Fire Department, they responded to 37 incidents in a half mile tactical area, said Shawn Lenske, a public information officer. In total, there were 15 rubbish fires, three vehicle fires and one vegetation fire. Of the 18 calls for medical aid eight people were transported to local area hospitals.
There were also reports of property damage to numerous vehicles and storefronts.
Stepping back from the craziness, last night's events, as dramatic as they were, was bad, but not horribly so. Of the throngs of people out there, most just wanted to enjoy the game and get home safely. It's the handful, relatively speaking, that makes this look bad.
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