Around 500 young individuals gathered in large groups near the basketball courts at Veterans Park in Gloucester Township on Saturday, June 1, as reported by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.
Around 8:40 p.m., there was a sudden outbreak of large-scale fights and chaotic running among the crowd, as reported by the police. In response, the officers swiftly intervened, leading to the arrest of two individuals involved in disorderly conduct. Despite these actions, the crowd persisted in maintaining a hostile and disorderly atmosphere.
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The Incident Commander requested additional support from Gloucester Township officers and sought mutual aid from neighboring Camden County police agencies due to the volatile nature of the situation. Consequently, the drone light show was initiated ahead of schedule.
After the drone light show concluded, officers promptly started dispersing the crowd from the field. The large gathering then made its way to the Marketplace shopping center, situated at 1200 Chews Landing Road.
Once again, there were multiple altercations among the juveniles and young adults. The office made additional requests for mutual aid through the Camden County Association of Chiefs of Police mutual aid coordinator.
The scene called for additional EMS resources, prompting a countywide EMS Task Force to be summoned. In addition, the Gloucester Township Police Special Response Team arrived to offer their support.
Over the next two hours, fights erupted in the parking lot of the shopping center. Police discovered that the majority of the groups involved were not from Gloucester Township, but had been dropped off and were in need of transportation.
The instigators and those fighting were clad in black attire, concealing their identities with hoodies and donning medical-style face masks.
Several young individuals also stated that they were attacked, with at least two of them sustaining minor injuries. The injured individuals received immediate medical attention at the scene and were subsequently released to the care of their respective parent or guardian.
In a recent incident, a group of officers were in the process of dispersing a crowd when an unexpected turn of events occurred. A 33-year-old man from Camden made a daring move by riding his bicycle at high speed straight into the group of officers. The impact of his reckless action resulted in a Gloucester Township officer being struck in the back and subsequently knocked to the ground.
The suspect swiftly got apprehended for attacking the officer and faced additional charges for attempting to flee while being transported to the police headquarters for processing. Although the officer sustained minor injuries, they declined medical treatment at the scene.
During the incident, one of the fights that erupted, resulted in minor injuries for another Gloucester Township officer and a Clementon Borough Police Officer who were trying to intervene.
Authorities apprehended a group of individuals, consisting of two adult males and nine juveniles, totaling 11 arrests.
Sixty-eight police officers from the Gloucester Township Police Department participated in or were dispatched to the “Gloucester Township Day” event. Additionally, around 30 police officers from Camden County and Deptford Township responded under the mutual aid plan. The incident was brought under control around 11:04 PM.
Several individuals were apprehended during this incident.
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- Ronald Jones, 33, of Camden, charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, escape, and disorderly conduct, and jailed.
- Kevin Coleman, 18, of Pine Hill, charged with disorderly conduct and released.
- Juveniles: all charged with disorderly conduct and released to a parent/guardian include children from Winslow Township, Camden, Cherry Hill, Pine Hill, and Laurel Springs.
Hundreds of township residents expressed their disappointment in a town-wide Facebook group, unanimously agreeing that the day had been completely ruined. One resident shared their experience, stating that they had felt on edge throughout the entire night and found it impossible to relax.
They exclaimed that they would not return.
While waiting in line for food, one individual witnessed a group of approximately twenty-four teenagers sprinting by.
“I was filled with fear, hesitant to take even a single step forward, as the intense force would have easily toppled me,” they recounted. “However, within a matter of minutes, they raced past us in the opposite direction, their laughter and shouts filling the air.”
“We decided to leave early and skip the drone show due to the unfavorable atmosphere. Having been residents of this area for 27 years, we used to eagerly bring our children and now our grandchildren to Gloucester Township day, but sadly, it doesn’t hold the same charm anymore.”
According to Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins, the officers demonstrated commendable restraint when handling the disruptive and violent groups.
During this season, it has become quite common to see gatherings of juveniles and young adults at municipal events and on municipal property. One such instance occurred during Memorial Day Weekend, when groups of teenagers congregated on the boardwalks of Wildwood and Ocean City. This led to a significant increase in police presence in the area.
In Glen Rock (Bergen County) last month, a group of people gathered on basketball courts, which unfortunately resulted in the shooting of a 23-year-old man from Paterson.
“The event, which has been organized for over 40 years to raise funds for the Gloucester Township Scholarship Committee, was marred by the unruly actions of unsupervised juveniles and young people who showed complete disregard for others. It is unfortunate that their lawlessness and violent behavior took away from what was supposed to be a family-oriented gathering. However, it is important to note that this incident does not define the overall character of the Gloucester Township community. Such acts of lawlessness and riotous behavior will not be tolerated.”
