World Series celebrations descended into chaos in the early hours of Thursday morning in Los Angeles, with shops being looted by gangs and fireworks thrown at cops in the street.
The LAPD shared a video of people rushing out of Nike stores stealing boxes, while a bus was burnt down near Dodger Stadium. Nobody was believed to be hurt.
Police said that arrests had been made but did not immediately reveal how many people had been detained.
The shocking pictures even appeared to show some looters played basketball in a trashed Nike store as the celebrations turned ugly. Crowds were chanting ‘F*** the Yankees’ as the celebrations unfolded in downtown LA.
But as things turned bad, the LAPD issued a dispersal order during the night saying on social media that a hostile crowd were throwing fireworks and other objects at police.
World Series celebrations turned ugly in Los Angeles in the early hours of Thursday morning
A bus was burned down by rowdy Dodgers fans – nobody was believed to have been hurt
In other shocking scenes, Nike stores were targeted by looters who escaped with goods
Police issued a dispersal order and said arrests were made, but didn’t say how many
‘Leave the area immediately and follow all officers orders,’ the LAPD wrote on X. ‘Various projectiles are being thrown at LAPD Officers in the area of Olympic & Grand.
‘Extra resources are responding to that area to assist. If you are on the street, at or adjacent to that intersection, leave the area immediately & follow officers orders.’
The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, had said earlier in the day that police were prepared for celebrations to turn ugly if the Dodgers were to win the World Series in New York.
‘LAPD is currently on tactical alert and has activated a strategic plan to protect communities and businesses,’ she said.
The shocking scenes erupted in LA after the Dodgers fought back from 5-0 down in Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium to clinch a 4-1 series triumph.
The celebrations will continue in Los Angeles later this week – the Dodgers have planned two events on Friday to celebrate winning their eighth World Series title.
The team will start the celebrations with a parade in downtown.
It will begin mid-morning at Gloria Molina Grand Park in front of City Hall with Mayor Bass in attendance.
It will continue on a 45-minute route that culminates at the intersection of 5th and Flower streets, with the Dodgers traveling atop double-decker buses.
Looters can be seen playing basketball inside a trashed Nike store in downtown LA
One fan in a Dodgers jersey leaps over a firework in the wild celebrations in Los Angeles
Police said that some of their officers had fireworks and other objects thrown at them
Firefighters pictured tackling the blaze after a bus was set on fire amid the celebrations
The celebrations at Dodger Stadium will begin shortly after noon. The parade will be carried on the stadium’s videoboards ahead of the team’s arrival.
The team has said Wednesday that of logistics, traffic and timing, fans won’t be able to attend both events.
For a large part of Wednesday’s game, it seemed that the Yankees were going to keep the series alive with a second straight win.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge returned to form with a home run off the first ball he faced and Jazz Chisholm followed him next up. Giancarlo Stanton then also homered with the Yankees storming into a 5-0 lead.
Dodgers fans pictured celebrating in Echo Park in Los Angeles on top of a bus
Looters pictured storming into a store that they had broken into in the early hours
But a New York capitulation in the bottom of the fifth allowed the Dodgers to tie the game.
The Yankees got another run to go ahead again, but the Dodgers weren’t to be denied.
Two more runs at the top of the eighth saw them reclaim the lead once more and from there, the Yankees had no answer.