Los Angeles police fired tear gas and less-than-lethal munitions at celebrating Dodgers fans early Sunday after officers came under attack from industrial-sized fireworks and bottles.
The LAPD declared a dispersal order around 12:30 a.m. at Olympic and Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. Officers reported that crowds launched fireworks and bottles at them along Grand Avenue between Ninth Street and Olympic Boulevard, according to official LAPD statements on social media.
A large group of fans flooded Los Angeles streets after the Dodgers clinched their second consecutive World Series title with a 5-4 extra-innings victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7, KTLA reported. Police deployed tear gas when crowds refused verbal orders to disperse near Sunset Boulevard and Echo Park, blocks from Dodger Stadium. (RELATED: Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez Forced To Change Milwaukee Hotel Over Ghost Fears Amid Playoff Run)
The chaos extended beyond downtown. Roughly 350 to 400 people gathered at an intersection in the Pacoima neighborhood, where several cars performed donuts and burnouts. A crowd downtown allegedly vandalized an autonomous vehicle.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the violence while celebrating the championship.
“LAPD is on heightened alert and coordinating with regional law enforcement,” Bass wrote on X. “There will be no tolerance for anyone who tries to take advantage of this win.”
The Dodgers became the 14th team in baseball history to win back-to-back World Series titles and the first since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000. The city scheduled a victory parade for Monday through downtown Los Angeles.
