Property damage reported in State College after post-Super Bowl ‘celebratory disturbance’
No arrests were made during Sunday night’s “celebratory disturbance” in downtown State College, which saw hundreds of people in the 200-400 block of East Beaver Avenue after the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl, State College police said.
As soon as the game was over, hundreds of fans celebrated the win in Beaver Canyon and completely shut down and occupied the roadway by 10:20 p.m., according to a press release from the police department. Police said they continued to monitor the situation until the crowd “began removing traffic control devices, climbing streetlights and climbing on cars parked along the street.”
Shortly after 10:30 p.m., State College Police Chief John Gardener issued an alert shared with the Penn State community ordering “all those assembled at Beaver Avenue to immediately disperse.” The gathering was an unlawful assembly, he wrote, adding that failure to disperse may result in arrests.
Police began clearing the roadway from west to east, the release states, and completed the process by 11:30 p.m.
“The police presence, accompanied by verbal instructions, were successful in accomplishing this process. No chemical agents were deployed. No physical arrests were made. No injuries were reported,” police wrote in the release.
Still, there are some preliminary reports of damage including the theft of several stop signs and one-way street signs. There was also damage to at least one car parked on the street.
Police said there is not a damage cost estimate available at this time and the State College borough’s public works department is assessing potential damage to light pole and street signs.
They’ll try to use photos from the events to identity those responsible, the release states. Anyone with videos or information about damage that occurred during the incident can report them to the State College police at 814-234-7150, police@statecollegepa.us or by submitting an anonymous tip online.
The State College Police Department was assisted by the Penn State, Patton Township and Ferguson Township police departments. Additionally, State College Public Works Department, the Centre County Sheriff’s Department, The Pennsylvania State Police, Alpha Fire Company and Centre Life Link EMS helped to deploy resources.
Matt DiSanto, Amanda Vogt and Sofia Miranda contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 9, 2025 at 11:03 PM.
