Labor Day Festivities Turn Violent In Pacific Beach
September 3, 2007 No CommentsKUSI.com Monday, September 3, 2007
Labor Day turned ugly in Pacific Beach. San Diego police had to disperse a violent crowd of several hundred people, some of whom pelted officers with cans and bottles. This after officers arrested ten people involved in an alcohol-related brawl. Reinforcements were brought in and more people were arrested.
The fight broke out in the sand near Reed Avenue when partiers refused to put away a water slide. The group then reportedly started throwing bottles and cans at the officers.
KUSI’s Ed Lenderman has details.
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Brawl Breaks Out In Pacific Beach
10News.com
SAN DIEGO —
A fight on the sand in Pacific Beach escalated into a full-scale brawl Monday, with bottles and cans thrown at police officers — who were pushed back — but returned in riot gear to quell the crowd. The fight broke out about 5 p.m. at the foot of Reed Avenue when partiers refused police orders to put away a water slide, according to broadcast reports.Police responded with smoke bombs and mace when the bottles and cans were thrown, according to the reports. “It was a really bad situation,” one witness said. Officers in riot gear with dogs were called in, along with the police helicopter ABLE to observe the situation from the air. Beachgoers were encouraged to go home, the reports said. Several people were shown on television in handcuffs. There were no reports of injuries. Mission Boulevard was shut down in both directions, and a command post was set up in the area.Holiday Turns Ugly at Beach
KNSD-TV, MSNBC.com
SAN DIEGO – At least 16 people are arrested after riot police are called in Monday to control an unruly mob at Mission Beach, officials said. Officers were called to a disturbance an area near the intersection of Mission Avenue and Reed Street just after 5 p.m., NBC 7/39 reported. When they arrived on four-wheel all-terrain vehicles, some of the people in the crowd began throwing beer bottles and other objects at them. The officers quickly called for backup, officials said.A contingent of at least a dozen officers in riot gear arrived and some in the crowd began pelting them with cans and bottles, police said. Police arrested more than a dozen people and cleared the area. They also blocked traffic on Mission Avenue between Reed and Pacific Beach, NBC 7/39 reported.It was not immediately clear what started the original disturbance on the beach.
Beach Brawl
Fox6.com
A fight broke out on Pacific Beach on Monday, quickly escalating into a full-blown brawl between Labor Day beach-goers and the police.The fight started shortly after 5 pm at the foot of Reed Avenue when officers asked some partiers to put away their water slide. They refused and threw bottles and cans at the officers. Police responded with smoke bombs and mace.Officers with riot gear arrived on the scene with police dogs while a police helicopter flew overhead to monitor the situation.Arrests were made but no injuries have been reported. Mission Boulevard was closed in both directions.
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Unruly crowds pelt police in Pacific Beach
San Diego Union Tribune; SignonSanDiego.com
September 4 at 12:17 a.m.A melee broke out in Pacific Beach yesterday afternoon as people started throwing plastic bottles and cans at police officers who were called to break up a large fight. Sixteen people were arrested on charges of being drunk in public and fighting, said San Diego police Assistant Chief David Ramirez. He said lifeguards called police about 5:15 p.m. reporting a fight in a group of several hundred on the beach near Reed Street and Ocean Boulevard.
Officers went into a crowd of about 500 where a large group was fighting, he said.
People in the crowd threw plastic drink bottles and cans at officers as they made their arrests and drew back from the
group, Ramirez said.
The 30 officers in the area were quickly backed up by an additional 40, Ramirez said.
Officers in riot gear formed a line along the boardwalk at Reed Street and a block of Mission Boulevard was closed briefly.
No officers were injured, Ramirez said.
Councilman Kevin Faulconer came to the beach and, after speaking with police officials, said he will re-examine the city’s policy governing alcohol consumption at the beach, including restricting it or possibly banning it.
There is no doubt alcohol played a major portion, Faulconer said.
After calling for back up, police officers set up a skirmish line along the boardwalk, Ramirez said. The confrontation calmed down real quick as the crowd began to break up, Ramirez said. A police helicopter circled above the area instructing the crowd to disperse.
Police went on to arrest six more people in the area for being drunk in public, Ramirez said.
Shortly before the call to police from lifeguards, a police all-terrain vehicle was apparently stuck in the sand in the same general area, and police determined a man around the vehicle was drunk in public, Ramirez said. He said he believes that event was separate from the ensuing report of a fight.
