Seahawks fans sleepless in Seattle: inaugural Superbowl win sparks riots, fires
February 4, 2014
Crowds took to the streets of the Emerald City Sunday night in celebration of the Seattle Seahawks’ first Super Bowl victory over the Denver Broncos. The after-game festivities escalated when University of Washington students lit bonfires and hurled bottles at police officers.
Amid the chaos, two shooting victims were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police arrested a total of six people, including a suspect of one of the shootings. The other shooter has not been identified.
“Crowds were enthusiastic and enjoying themselves,” Seattle Police Det. Mark Jamieson said.
Thousands of Seahawks fans flocked to Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill, both popular hubs, to celebrate the team’s inaugural Super Bowl win. Jamieson said it didn’t take long for the situation to get out of hand.
“Early in the night, a crowd decided to start a fire at an intersection,” he said.
Couches and other furniture were used as kindle to ignite fires near a UW fraternity. One suspect who instigated the fire was arrested for reckless burning.
Officers dressed in riot gear patrolled the area with batons in hand, dispersing crowds as was necessary.
“If blocking the street, we direct traffic officers to use discretion,” Jamieson said. “We wanted to make sure people were safe.”
The crowds were mostly dispersed by about 2 a.m. Monday.
Seattle Police estimate about $25,000 in structure damages, including numerous broken windows.