Philadelphia Eagles fans were understandably in a celebratory mood after Sunday’s Divisional Round victory over the visiting Los Angeles Rams.
Such an occasion has traditionally resulted in damage to public property in Philadelphia, and that was the case Sunday near Lincoln Financial Field, where a motorist got into a violent confrontation with police.
As captured in a video that has since gone viral on social media, a black Mercedes sedan is seen trying to evade police cruisers on the streets surrounding the South Philadelphia stadium complex. Ultimately, the driver reversed, only to crash directly into a police SUV positioned directly behind the Mercedes.
They then take the driver out of the sedan and handcuff him. Police have since revealed that a man was arrested for driving his black Mercedes into a traffic officer who was stopped at an intersection.
That driver is now being charged with drunk driving, while the officer was briefly hospitalized, police told DailyMail.com.
“On Sunday, January 19, 2024, at approximately 5:57 p.m., an incident occurred in the Third District at 1000 Pattison Avenue involving a civilian vehicle and a police officer,” the police statement read. ‘The driver of a 2016 black Mercedes Benz, traveling east on Pattison Avenue at an unsafe speed and driving carelessly, eventually reversed and collided with a Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) vehicle.
As captured in a video that has since gone viral on social media, a black sedan is seen trying to evade police cruisers on the streets surrounding the South Philadelphia stadium complex.
‘The agent, assigned to the Traffic Division and assigned to a traffic position, was run over during the incident. They were transported to Jefferson Hospital by Medic 37 in stable condition and are expected to be treated and released.
‘The driver of the Mercedes Benz was arrested and will face charges of driving under the influence (DUI) and driving without a valid license.
“This remains an active investigation and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”
The incident comes at an awkward time for Eagles fans.
Last week, Philadelphia fan Ryan Caldwell was filmed abusing a Green Bay Packers fan in a video that subsequently went viral. He called her an ‘ugly, dumb whore,’ and has since lost her job and been banned from returning to Lincoln Financial Field.
It was the latest controversy involving Eagles fans and cemented the notion, at least in the eyes of their rivals, that these fans are aggressive, nasty and even violent.
Rams rookie running back Jared Verse appeared to accept the fan abuse he received in Philadelphia before Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game against the Eagles.
Just days after admitting that he hates Eagles fans, the 24-year-old Florida State product took a pregame stroll at Lincoln Financial Field, where locals were waiting for him.
The Pro Bowl selection and teammate Byron Young were booed as they walked through the end zone before kickoff. They were seen placing their hands behind their ears to encourage the vitriol, and Young added a few repetitions of “thank you” to boot.
At one point, Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter said something to Verse, who quickly responded: “I’ll take that 77 for the next round.” I’ll keep it in my pocket.
Verse appeared to refer to the $77,000 bonus NFL players receive for reaching the conference championship, something the Rams were unable to do on Sunday.