Eleven arrested, three injured in fights between young people in park in New Jersey

Police said 11 people, including nine teenagers, were arrested at a drone light show in South Jersey on Saturday after the crowd, which included more than 500 children and young adults, started several fights.

Three police officers were also injured in the chaotic crowd that gathered at Veterans Park in Gloucester Township on Saturday evening, local police said on Sunday.

One of the officers was struck by a bicycle, after which a 33-year-old Camden man was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer. The same man was also charged with attempted escape for breaking free from handcuffs on the way to jail, police said.

Another 18-year-old man was arrested for disorderly conduct.

The officers involved in the bicycle crash declined medical treatment. The other injured officers, one from Gloucester Township and the other from Clementon, suffered minor injuries while breaking up several fights, police said.

The event was part of Gloucester Township Day, an annual community event featuring rides, games and food vendors. It was scheduled to begin at noon and last until 10 p.m., according to the Gloucester Township website.

“The lawlessness of unsupervised groups of teens and young people behaving with complete disregard for others has ruined a great family-oriented event that has been held for over 40 years to raise funds for the Gloucester Township Scholarship Committee,” Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins said in a statement Sunday. “This type of lawlessness and violent, riotous behavior will not be tolerated and will not characterize the great community of Gloucester Township.”

The nine teenagers arrested were between the ages of 13 and 17, police said. Eight of the nine were from towns in Camden County. Seven were boys and two were girls. All were charged with disturbing the peace and released to their guardians.

Families gathered at the park on Chews Landing Road were waiting for the drone show to begin when a large number of children and young adults were dropped off at the event, police said. The crowd is believed to have grown to more than 500 people.

At around 8:40 p.m., fights broke out between large groups, police said. They ran “recklessly” through the crowd while officers tried to maintain order. Police described their actions as “hostile and disorderly.” Two people were arrested for disturbing the peace.

To help control the crowd, additional officers from across Camden County were called to the scene, police said.

According to police, the light show began early because of the dangerous situation, so officers dispersed the crowd from the park after it ended. Large groups moved to a nearby shopping center, where further clashes broke out, requiring the deployment of additional police to the area.

The fight lasted two hours and ended around 11 p.m. when the police considered the situation under control. Two minors were injured in the scuffle, but were released into the care of their legal guardians.

Many of the instigators of the fights wore black clothing and covered their faces with medical masks and sweatshirts, police said.

The scenario was similar to one that occurred over Memorial Day weekend in Ocean City, Cape May County, where teenagers started a fight on the town’s boardwalk that left a 15-year-old stabbed. Similar chaos occurred in Wildwood and Seaside Heights.

Sixty-eight Gloucester Township officers were dispatched or deployed to the incident, and at least 30 were deployed as support personnel from surrounding towns, police said. The fighting is under investigation.

Harkins praised officers for their restraint and limiting injuries while containing the violence.

“I was proud to work with all of these officers who put their safety on the line to bring this difficult situation under control,” Harkins said. “I am thankful that no further injuries were sustained by the officers, the families who attended the event, or those involved in this disorderly conduct.”

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Eric Conklin can be reached at [email protected].