Police stop a car that was driven into the parade route before the Kansas City Chiefs Champions Parade in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. February 5, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
February 6, 2020
(Reuters) – A driver crashed the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration on Wednesday, breaking through a parade barrier and leading police on a chase through the parade route before coming to a halt a few hours before the festivities got underway, police said.
The green sedan was stopped before approaching the crowd and no injuries were reported, police said. Two people were arrested.
“The driver is under investigation for impairment. A search of the vehicle revealed no weapons, and there were no indications of terrorist activity,” Kansas City police said in a statement. “Police do not know the suspect’s motive at this time. The parade route is once again secure.”
Clay County Sheriff’s deputies, who were assisting Kansas City police, slowed the vehicle by deploying Stop Sticks, flattening two of its tires, the sheriff said on Twitter.
But the car kept going.
Multiple police cars prepared to stop it, which police said they managed using the PIT maneuver, a blocking tactic designed to force the car to turn sideways abruptly, causing the driver to lose control.
The chase began three hours before the parade as the crowd built along Grand Boulevard, the Kansas City Star reported, when people were startled by the sound of sirens and the police chase.
“Move back, move back!” an officer on an all-terrain vehicle shouted, the Star reported.
The chase disrupted what had been a festive mood. Moments before, police had led fans in cheers of “Go Chiefs!,” the Star said.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 31-20 in Sunday’s 54th Super Bowl in Miami, the first Chiefs’ National Football League championship in 50 years.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
