NJSP Fire Tear Gas Into Angry Summer Jam Concert Crowd
Authorities say the kids were alone in a car when the young boy accidentally shot his little sister.
Chris Jordan, @ChrisFHJordan 12:27 a.m. EDT June 8, 2015
A major hip-hop and R&B concert erupted into violence after State Police lobbed tear gas at concertgoers who were throwing bottles at police in the parking lot.
Witnesses say the disturbance began around 7 p.m. due to an altercation between concertgoers. That's when officials shut the gates to the show, the Hot 97 Summer Jam at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, causing a logjam of people at the MetLife gate, which in turn led to metal barriers being toppled and thrown.
After concertgoers began throwing bottles in response, police then took up a defensive V-shaped position in front of the stadium gates as a barrage of bottles pelted the officers.
An armored State Police vehicle came into the middle of the crowd and activated a piercing alarm to try to disrupt the crowd of about 1,000 people.
"Apparently a fight happened inside, so they stopped letting people inside," said Chris Figueroa of Long Island, who was in the middle of the crowd. "I never experienced anything like that — I thought somebody might've had a gun."
Figueroa and companion Bryanna Ugarte, also of Long Island, left the scene when the bottles started flying.
"We ran by the police, and they were ready with their sticks and Mace," Ugarte said.
Several rounds of tear gas were released into the crowd, and one concertgoer was Maced pepper-sprayed in the parking lot.
Uniformed officers wearing helmets and gas masks and holding shields would briefly come out from behind the gates to make arrests before retreating.
The concert, which featured performers Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown and others, went on despite the disturbance in the parking lot.
The crowd ultimately dispersed about 10 p.m., three hours after the disturbance began.
A police spokesman, Sgt. Gregory Williams, told The Associated Press that additional troopers were sent for "crowd control" and that arrests had been made.
"This evening, security personnel at one of the entrance gates to MetLife Stadium were confronted by crowds attempting to illegally enter the sold out Summer Jam concert by climbing over fences and forcing their way through security personnel," the New Jersey State Police said in a statement on their Facebook page.
"The gates have been shut and troopers on site have called for assistance from several nearby stations to help maintain order.
"Troopers and stadium security officials are insisting that all people outside of the gates depart the MetLife grounds to avoid congestion when the concert lets out. There is no number of arrests available at this time," authorities said through the statement.
A spokesperson for Emmis New York, owners of Hot 97, said Summer Jam 2015 sold out early Sunday evening due to strong demand for tickets.
"When fans realized tickets were not available at the box office, a small number of people created an unsafe environment, and for the safety of all guests, the New Jersey State Police were on scene to disperse the crowd.
"The gates were closed at that time. No further entry was permitted into the event.
"For ticket holders whose tickets were not scanned, refunds will be offered at the point of purchase," the spokesman said.
It wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Asbury Park Press Staff Writer Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com
Chris Jordan, @ChrisFHJordan 12:27 a.m. EDT June 8, 2015
A major hip-hop and R&B concert erupted into violence after State Police lobbed tear gas at concertgoers who were throwing bottles at police in the parking lot.
Witnesses say the disturbance began around 7 p.m. due to an altercation between concertgoers. That's when officials shut the gates to the show, the Hot 97 Summer Jam at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, causing a logjam of people at the MetLife gate, which in turn led to metal barriers being toppled and thrown.
After concertgoers began throwing bottles in response, police then took up a defensive V-shaped position in front of the stadium gates as a barrage of bottles pelted the officers.
An armored State Police vehicle came into the middle of the crowd and activated a piercing alarm to try to disrupt the crowd of about 1,000 people.
"Apparently a fight happened inside, so they stopped letting people inside," said Chris Figueroa of Long Island, who was in the middle of the crowd. "I never experienced anything like that — I thought somebody might've had a gun."
Figueroa and companion Bryanna Ugarte, also of Long Island, left the scene when the bottles started flying.
"We ran by the police, and they were ready with their sticks and Mace," Ugarte said.
Several rounds of tear gas were released into the crowd, and one concertgoer was Maced pepper-sprayed in the parking lot.
Uniformed officers wearing helmets and gas masks and holding shields would briefly come out from behind the gates to make arrests before retreating.
The concert, which featured performers Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown and others, went on despite the disturbance in the parking lot.
The crowd ultimately dispersed about 10 p.m., three hours after the disturbance began.
A police spokesman, Sgt. Gregory Williams, told The Associated Press that additional troopers were sent for "crowd control" and that arrests had been made.
"This evening, security personnel at one of the entrance gates to MetLife Stadium were confronted by crowds attempting to illegally enter the sold out Summer Jam concert by climbing over fences and forcing their way through security personnel," the New Jersey State Police said in a statement on their Facebook page.
"The gates have been shut and troopers on site have called for assistance from several nearby stations to help maintain order.
"Troopers and stadium security officials are insisting that all people outside of the gates depart the MetLife grounds to avoid congestion when the concert lets out. There is no number of arrests available at this time," authorities said through the statement.
A spokesperson for Emmis New York, owners of Hot 97, said Summer Jam 2015 sold out early Sunday evening due to strong demand for tickets.
"When fans realized tickets were not available at the box office, a small number of people created an unsafe environment, and for the safety of all guests, the New Jersey State Police were on scene to disperse the crowd.
"The gates were closed at that time. No further entry was permitted into the event.
"For ticket holders whose tickets were not scanned, refunds will be offered at the point of purchase," the spokesman said.
It wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Asbury Park Press Staff Writer Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com
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