Philadelphia Eagles fans were understandably in a celebrating mood after Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff win over the visiting Los Angeles Rams.
Traditionally, such an occasion has resulted in damage to public property in Philadelphia, and that was the case on Sunday near Lincoln Financial Field, where one motorist had a violent run-in 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 South Philadelphia’s stadium complex. Ultimately the driver throw’s the vehicle into reverse, only to slam directly into a police SUV positioned directly behind the Mercedes.
The driver is then dragged from the sedan and handcuffed. Police have since revealed a man was arrested for driving his black Mercedes into a traffic officer standing into 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 PM, an incident occurred in the 3rd District at 1000 Pattison Avenue involving a civilian vehicle and a police officer,’ read the police statement. ‘The driver of a 2016 black Mercedes Benz, traveling eastbound on Pattison Avenue at an unsafe speed and driving carelessly, ultimately 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 South Philadelphia’s stadium complex
‘The officer, assigned to the Traffic Division and stationed at a traffic post, was struck 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 taken into custody 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 moment for Eagles fans.
Last week, Philadelphia supporter Ryan Caldwell was filmed abusing a female Green Bay Packers fan in a video that subsequently went viral. He called her a ‘ugly, dumb c***’ , he’s since lost his job and he’s been banned from coming back to Lincoln Financial Field.
It was the latest controversy involving Eagles fans and it cemented the notion – at least in the eyes of their rivals – that these supporters are aggressive, unpleasant, even violent.
Rams rookie edge rusher Jared Verse appeared to embrace the fan abuse he received in Philadelphia before Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game with the Eagles.
Just days after admitting he hates Eagles fans, the 24-year-old Florida State product took a pregame stroll at Lincoln Financial Field, where the locals were waiting for him.
The Pro Bowl selection and teammate Byron Young were both showered with boos as they strolled through the end zone ahead of kickoff. They were seen cupping their hands behind their ears to encourage the vitriol with Young adding a few repetitions of ‘thank you’ to boot.
At one point, Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter said something to Verse, who had a quick retort: ‘I’ll take that 77 for the next round. I’ll put that in my pocket.’
Verse appeared to be referring to the $77,000 bonus NFL players receive for reaching the conference championship – something the Rams failed to do on Sunday.
