The Oakland Police Department was fully staffed and on high alert Sunday night after the Golden State Warriors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.
Police had a visible presence in East Oakland and near the arena, ready for any unlawful activity that could occur as fans left the game and local establishments, but the streets remained calm in the hours after the final buzzer.
"We are all prepared; we are great at doing this," Mayor Libby Schaaf said. "We had a great experience last year. I'm very confident that the good people of Oakland will express their grief appropriately. But we're prepared."
One injury occurred inside the arena after the game when a fan fell from an upper concourse, according to Oracle officials and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. Both agencies confirmed it occurred during an altercation. Oakland police were investigating the incident.
Police officials said before tipoff they were ready for whatever might happen outside the arena or throughout the city, when revelers hit the streets after the game.
Despite all the turmoil surrounding the department, police said patrols were beefed up for the winner-take-all event. And even though there was no one holding the police chief title, there was someone in charge.
"With any event like this, there is an incident commander, and right now that person is Assistant Chief (David) Downing," said Marco Marquez, an OPD spokesman. "So if anything does arise, he's overseeing the operation.
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"And we just want the city to understand that the men and women working this event, they are here to remain focused on the mission at hand," Marquez added.
The incident commander will report any incidents to City Administrator Sabrina Landreth, who was appointed by Schaaf last week to oversee the police department.
