Cleveland police: Cavs fans happy, 'not unruly' after title
Thousands crowded downtown Cleveland and some became unruly in the aftermath of the Cavaliers clinching the city’s first major sports title in decades.
Fans hopped atop a fire truck, a police car's hood and windshield was damaged and there were reports of broken glass at businesses near Quicken Loans Arena, the site of two viewing parties as the Cavs beat the host Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
But two hours after the game, it would be hard to describe the mischief with that dreaded four-letter word: riot.
“We are watching a big crowd,” an officer said on the police channel around midnight ET. “They’re not unruly. They’re happy.”
There were two arrests as of 12:30 a.m. ET, Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia wrote in an email to Paste BN Sports.
Ciaccia confirmed that a police officer was struck by a white Toyota. A female driver fled the scene. A pedestrian was also hit by a car around 1 am ET.
Callers into 911 reported that they could hear gunshots right as regulation ended.
Rumors circulated minutes after the game that a fire truck was stolen, something the Cleveland police struck down on Twitter.
Police supervisors could be heard on the radio telling fellow officers not to leave their cars unattended.
About a half hour before the Cavs clinched their first title in team history, police closed several downtown streets along with exits off the I-90 and I-77.
“Everybody wants to drive her and see his fiasco,” an officer said over the radio.
Gallery: Best of the Finals