The incident occurred on Friday at the Maple Shade Tigers Youth Football Carnival at JFK Memorial Field in Maple Shade, New Jersey, a small Burlington County town about 15 miles east of Philadelphia.
A large crowd of teens overwhelmed the family-friendly fundraiser, leading to multiple brawls and unruly behavior that spiraled out of control.
Officers and event organizers tried to restore order by directing the disruptive individuals to leave.
Instead, many teens cursed at the police and actively tried to provoke physical confrontations.
Maple Shade Police Department Lt. Daniel O’Brien told6ABCthe juveniles “were cursing at police officers. They were clearly trying to provoke physical confrontations with cops.”
“If your kid is leaving the house with a face mask to go to a carnival, I think that should be a sign that they might be getting themselves into trouble,” O’Brien said.
As a result, the carnival was closed for the remainder of Friday evening. Officials also canceled Saturday’s final night due to safety concerns.
“Officers on scene, along with event organizers, directed those involved and other unruly individuals to leave the carnival grounds in an attempt to restore order and maintain public safety,” Maple Shade officials said in a statement posted to Facebook. “As a result of the incident, the carnival was closed for the remainder of the evening.”
The event is a major annual fundraiser for the nonprofit Maple Shade Tigers Youth Football organization, which uses proceeds for equipment, uniforms, and helmets.
Organizers estimated thousands of dollars in lost revenue.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
