Cop assaulted, 26 arrested as Knicks fans celebrate in NYC

UNRULY New York Knicks fans turned a reason to celebrate into chaos late on Friday after their team opened a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

With Game 2 at San Antonio on Friday night, more than 6,000 fans gathered at a watch party outside Madison Square Garden in New York City (NYC) before the scene on the streets of Manhattan afterward turned violent.

A female police officer was assaulted to the point of needing medical attention, while 26 people were arrested following what one police official described as “pandemonium.”

“A victory celebration shouldn’t end with blood pouring down a police officer’s face,” Police Benevolent Association President Pat Hendry said in a statement. “Our sister was just doing her job, trying to keep everyone safe in the pandemonium… when an individual jumped over a barrier and punched her in the face hard enough to leave a bloody gash.”