Kentucky Fans Riot With Shooting After Beating Kansas
Kentucky beat Kansas to capture the national NCAA basketball title, with the attention now switching to the aftermath of the victory.
Kentucky bested Kansas 67-59 to win the school's eighth national NCAA basketball title and its first since 1998.
"I wanted everybody to see, we were the best team this season," Coach John Calipari said. "We were the best team. I wanted this to be one for the ages."
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Soon after the game fans emptied into the streets on the Lexington campus filled with the joy of their team winning. However, things quickly took a dark turn as some fans celebrated by staring fires, destroying personal property, and endangering the lives of fellow classmates.
Lexington police arrested dozens of people shortly after the game ended when inebriated fans took to the streets, police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said late Monday.
"We're seeing fires being lit and things of that nature," Roberts said. She added that people had set couches and at least one car on fire while Police gave numerous citations for alcohol-related offenses, Roberts said.
"I think that we're taking a more zero-tolerance approach," she said. "That has a part to play in it, but also people started celebrating much earlier than they did on Saturday. The amount of time to become intoxicated and the amount of time for us to be in contact with these intoxicated people has increased."
Battalion Chief Ed Davis of the Lexington Division of Fire and Emergency Services stated that there were about 40 separate fires that had been set in the area amassed with fans. Davis explained that most of the fires were small such as couches or bedding.
"There are literally thousands of people downtown everywhere," he said a few hours after the game ended. "Ninety-nine percent are doing what they're supposed to."
SEE VIDEO OF THE NEWS REPORT ON THE KENTUCKY RIOTS AND SHOOTING
