Crowd Torches Taxi after Lakers win
- Thread starter Rapst
- Start date
LOS ANGELES -- Staples Center owner AEG is giving $10,000 to the driver of a taxi cab that was set on fire last week after the Lakers won their 16th NBA championship.
AEG spokesman Michael Roth says cabbie Abraham Teferi will be presented a check Monday afternoon.
The attack on the cab was part of a spree of violence and vandalism Thursday night following the Lakers' victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the championship series.
About 40 people were arrested Thursday night after a rowdy crowd outside the Staples Center turned violent, throwing bottles and rocks at police, fighting, and vandalizing property. Now, the Los Angeles Fire Department has released uncut video of the post NBA Finals mayhem, and is searching for more suspects.
Several news helicopters caught one of the most glaring incidents of vandalism--a screaming crowd of people forced a taxi driver trying to leave the Staples Center out of his cab, then rushed the vehicle. The violent mob rocked, kicked, and dented the taxi, smashed its windows, then lit the vehicle on fire.
In the video released by LAFD Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section investigators, the vandals and arsonists are seen laughing and cheering as they destroy the taxi. At around the 3 minute 20 second mark, someone ignites the taxi in flames, to the amusement of the crowd.
Several of the suspects are seen posing for pictures in front of the cab, and taking their own first-hand video and photos of the destruction.
At some point, the man filming screams an expletive and takes off running. It is not clear who shot the video released by LAFD investigators.
The fire department is encouraging people to view the video in full screen HD, and to report anyone they recognize in the video, particularly the individuals who set fire to the taxi cab and stoked the flames.
Investigators are also asking anyone with any personal camera of cell phone footage of the incident to contact the Arson/Counter-Terrorism unit at (213) 485-6095.
AEG spokesman Michael Roth says cabbie Abraham Teferi will be presented a check Monday afternoon.
The attack on the cab was part of a spree of violence and vandalism Thursday night following the Lakers' victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the championship series.
About 40 people were arrested Thursday night after a rowdy crowd outside the Staples Center turned violent, throwing bottles and rocks at police, fighting, and vandalizing property. Now, the Los Angeles Fire Department has released uncut video of the post NBA Finals mayhem, and is searching for more suspects.
Several news helicopters caught one of the most glaring incidents of vandalism--a screaming crowd of people forced a taxi driver trying to leave the Staples Center out of his cab, then rushed the vehicle. The violent mob rocked, kicked, and dented the taxi, smashed its windows, then lit the vehicle on fire.
In the video released by LAFD Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section investigators, the vandals and arsonists are seen laughing and cheering as they destroy the taxi. At around the 3 minute 20 second mark, someone ignites the taxi in flames, to the amusement of the crowd.
Several of the suspects are seen posing for pictures in front of the cab, and taking their own first-hand video and photos of the destruction.
At some point, the man filming screams an expletive and takes off running. It is not clear who shot the video released by LAFD investigators.
The fire department is encouraging people to view the video in full screen HD, and to report anyone they recognize in the video, particularly the individuals who set fire to the taxi cab and stoked the flames.
Investigators are also asking anyone with any personal camera of cell phone footage of the incident to contact the Arson/Counter-Terrorism unit at (213) 485-6095.
