Scores of teenagers arrested after fights ruin family-friendly event: police

The drone light show on Gloucester Township Day was accompanied by arrests and calls for more police while the teenagers argued for hours, police said.

June 2, 2024, 2:54 p.m. EDT | Updated June 2, 2024, 3:20 p.m. EDT

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Two men and numerous underage teenagers were arrested in connection with fights that left both police officers and teens injured after hundreds of unsupervised young people gathered at the Gloucester Township Day drone light show, police said.

The fighting began around 8:40 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Park in the 1200 block of Chews Landing Road and was not declared under control until shortly after 11 p.m., police said.

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“I am thankful that there were no further injuries to the officers, the families in attendance and even those involved in this disturbing behavior,” Police Chief David Harkins said in a news release, adding that the fights “ruined a great family-oriented event.”

“This type of lawlessness and violent, riotous behavior will not be tolerated and will not characterize the great community of Gloucester Township.”

Ronald Jones, 33, of Camden, was charged with aggravated assault, fleeing and disturbing the peace and was taken to the county jail, police said. Kevin Coleman, 18, of Pine Hill, was charged with disturbing the peace and was released, according to police.

The underage teens, all of whom were charged with disturbing the peace and released to a guardian, ranged in age from 13 to 17 and were from Gloucester Township, Camden, Cherry Hill, Pine Hill, Winslow Township and Laurel Springs, police said. Two of the teens were girls, the rest were boys, police said.

The clashes began when a crowd of about 500 young people gathered around the basketball courts before the light show and began fighting and running recklessly, leading to two arrests, police said. The crowd remained hostile, authorities requested more officers and a decision was made to start the show early, police said.

After the show, large crowds flocked to the nearby Marketplace shopping center, where clashes continued, prompting additional requests for police and emergency services, authorities said.

Fighting continued for two hours in the mall parking lot. Many of the instigators wore black clothing and covered their faces with hoodies or face masks, according to police. Most of the youths were from outside Gloucester Township and had been dropped off and needed a ride, police said.

Several teens reported being attacked, and at least two of them suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, police said. Officers from Gloucester Township and Clementon Borough also suffered minor injuries while trying to break up a fight, according to police.

Amid the chaos, Jones rode his bicycle at a high rate of speed into a group of police officers dispersing a crowd and struck a Gloucester Township police officer from behind, knocking him to the ground and causing minor injuries, authorities said. Jones was immediately arrested but attempted to break free of his handcuffs, according to police.

In total, nearly 100 officers from Gloucester Township, Camden County and Deptford Township responded to the incident, police said.