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Crowds of approximately 500 young people began congregating in large groups near the basketball courts at Veterans Park in Gloucester Township, on Saturday, June 1, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said.
At approximately 8:40 p.m., large groups began fighting each other and running recklessly through the crowd, police said. Officers responded and made two arrests for disorderly conduct. The crowd continued to remain hostile and disorderly.
The Incident Commander called in additional Gloucester Township officers for support, and requested mutual aid from surrounding Camden County police agencies. Due to the volatility of the situation, the drone light show was started early.
Immediately upon conclusion of the drone light show, officers began dispersing the crowd off of the field. Large crowds moved to the Marketplace shopping center located at 1200 Chews Landing Road.
Again, multiple fights broke out amongst the juveniles and young adults. Additional requests for mutual aid was made via the Camden County Association of Chiefs of Police mutual aid coordinator, the office said.
A countywide EMS Task Force was requested to bring additional EMS resources to the scene. The Gloucester Township Police Special Response Team also responded to provide support.
Fights continued to break out over the course of the next two hours across the parking lot of the shopping center and police determined that most of the groups of juveniles were not from Gloucester Township, and had been dropped off and needed rides.
Many of the instigators and those fighting were wearing black clothing, covering their faces with hoodies, and wearing medical style face masks.
Several juveniles also reported being assaulted, and at least two reported minor injuries. Both were treated at the scene and released to a parent or guardian.
While a group of Officers were dispersing a crowd, a 33-year-old man from Camden rode his bicycle at high speed into a group of officers, striking a Gloucester Township officer in the back, knocking him to the ground.
The suspect was immediately arrested for assaulting the officer, and was also charged with attempted escape, as he tried to slip out of his handcuffs while being transported to police headquarters for processing. The officer suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene.
Another Gloucester Township officer and a Clementon Borough Police Officer also suffered from minor injuries as they attempted to break up one of the many fights that broke out.
A total of 11 people were arrested, including two men and nine juveniles.
Sixty-eight Gloucester Township Police Officers were assigned to or responded to the “Gloucester Township Day” event, and at least 30 mutual aid Police Officers from Camden County and Deptford Township (Gloucester County) responded as per the mutual aid plan. The incident was declared under control at approximately 11:04 PM.
The following arrests were made during this incident:
- 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.
In a town-wide Facebook group, hundreds of township residents agreed that the day had been ruined, with one resident saying it they were "totally on edge the whole night, and it was impossible to relax.
"Won't go back," they said.
One person said they were waiting in line for food when about two dozen teens ran past.
"I was afraid to move even a foot because I would have been knocked over," they said. "Then just a few minutes later, then ran past us in the opposite direction. They were laughing and yelling.
"We left early and skipped the drone show because it was not a good atmosphere. We have lived here for 27 years and took our children and now our grandchildren to Gloucester Township day, but it is no longer the same."
Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins said officers showed "great restraint" in dealing with the violent and agitating groups.
Throngs of juveniles and young adults gathering at municipal events and on municipal property seems to be commonplace this season. On Memorial Day Weekend, groups of teenagers gathered on the boardwalks of Wildwood and Ocean City, bringing a large police presence to the scene.
Last month in Glen Rock (Bergen County), crowds gathered on basketball courts, ultimately leading to the shooting of a 23-year-old Paterson man.
"The lawless of groups of unsupervised juveniles and young people acting with total disregard for others, ruined a great family-oriented event which has taken place to raise funds for the Gloucester Township Scholarship Committee for over 40 years. This type of lawlessness and violent riotous behavior will not be tolerated, and will not define the great community of Gloucester Township.”
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