A police officer was punched in the face and 26 people were arrested Friday night as a Knicks watch party outside Madison Square Garden turned chaotic, authorities said.
An estimated 6,500 people gathered outside the arena to watch the game. Police say the crowd was rowdy from the start with two arrests before the game began.
Things got even wilder following the Knicks’ nail-biting 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, police said. Crowds spilled into the streets, blocking traffic along 7th and 8th Avenues. Fans climbed on food vendor carts, light poles and subway entrances, and multiple people refused to comply with police orders and resisted arrest, according to the NYPD.
At one point, police said 29-year-old Karely Reyes jumped a barrier into a restricted area and, when an officer tried to remove her, punched the officer in the face, leaving injuries that required medical treatment. Reyes was charged with assault, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said in a statement that she also bit another officer after being placed under arrest.
“A victory celebration shouldn't end with blood pouring down a police officer's face,” Hendry said.
In total, 17 people were arrested and charged, and nine were released with criminal court summonses for disorderly conduct. Multiple people were also arrested for selling counterfeit merchandise, including one person who was found carrying a loaded gun, police said.
The arrests came despite Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pleas for restraint earlier in the day.
“As much as we want New Yorkers to be able to enjoy themselves, I would like to remind New Yorkers to not jump on any emergency vehicles or ambulances or to block their passage," he said Friday morning on 1010 WINS.
New York City officials have gone back and forth on whether to allow Knicks watch parties. The city has said permits would be granted on a game-by-game basis, after briefly threatening to cancel watch parties altogether.
City Hall would not say whether or how Friday night’s arrests would affect plans for parties Monday when the Knicks return home. But spokesperson Sam Raskin said it was “not a matter of if [the parties] will happen, but where.”
President Donald Trump’s plan to attend the game will bring significant extra security and traffic around MSG.
This story has been updated to include comment from City Hall.
