Super Bowl revelry turns riotous (VIDEO)
Viral video footage posted on social media on Monday shows Los Angeles Rams fans – or perhaps opportunists – apparently looting a downtown jewelry store amid chaotic celebrations after the local team won Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The clip shows at least six people leaving a jewelry store through a broken glass doorway. People on the sidewalk can be heard yelling, “Let’s go,” urging the looters to move quickly as police sirens blare in the background.
Twitter user emilioooo said he shot the video himself, and the incident occurred at a shop near the corner of Sixth and Broadway. Maps of the area show several jewelry stores clustered in that neighborhood.
— emilioooo (@emiIioooo) February 14, 2022
The riotous scenes downtown played out after the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals to win their first NFL championship since 1983. The game was played at SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood, just south of Los Angeles.
LA police issued several dispersal orders after throngs of revelers became violent. “We continue to see large, violent and destructive crowds in the downtown Los Angeles core area,” police said. “Those involved in criminal activity and those failing to obey dispersal orders are subject to arrest.”
Earlier, police had urged fans to “celebrate responsibly” and to refrain from actions that would “tarnish a great Super Bowl win.” The crowds mushroomed even after the California Highway Patrol closed downtown exits from a major freeway.
Other videos posted on Twitter showed people blocking streets, jumping on vehicles, and shooting off fireworks. In one scene, people are shown climbing on and entering a city bus that’s covered with graffiti.
One man behind the wheel of the city bus at the Rams celebration downtown. pic.twitter.com/WXMeUl3J6s
— Sean Beckner-Carmitchel (@ACatWithNews) February 14, 2022
Police said they recovered a loaded handgun from a vehicle that was stopped after doing donuts at a major downtown intersection.
