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LAPD on lookout to prevent violence at 4th (and possibly final) Kings game
A Los Angeles Kings fan cheers on the team while taking on the New Jersey Devils react in Game 3 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center on June 4, 2012.
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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief Charlie Beck both made clear Wednesday that any mayhem would not be tolerated at the evening's hockey game between the L.A. Kings and New Jersey Devils.
The press conference took place just hours before the start of the Stanley Cup Final's Game Four, the game set to possibly clinch the Kings' chance at the Cup.
“If you engage in violence tonight, you will be arrested and the LAPD will find you," cautioned Villaraigosa, pointing out the arrest mere weeks ago of a man involved in riots at the 2010 L.A. Lakers Championships.
There will be hundreds of officers stationed in and around Staples Center tonight, according to LAPD Chief Beck, and as the game progresses, access to the area will be denied to anyone without a ticket.
“Unfortunately, this is a first time for us [to be] a Stanley Cup city," Beck acknowledged. "So gauging the response of the city is difficult. We will do that as we need to and we will make adjustments.”
Crowds will be carefully monitored as the night wears on, and large groups may not be allowed to gather after the game.
The game started at 5 p.m., but fans in black-and-white have been milling around Staples Center since early morning.
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