Monday, June 08, 2015

Arrests Made Outside New Jersey Concert
June 7, 2015: Fans at the Hot 97 Summer Jam concert confront police officers outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Crowds became upset when the gates were closed and blocked off by police in riot gear, the Asbury Park Press reported. (Chris Jordan/The Asbury Park Press via AP)

New Jersey State Police said that arrests were made late Sunday after a crowd of people without tickets attempted to get into a sold-out concert at Metlife Stadium.

The Asbury Park Press reported that the disturbances began with an altercation between concertgoers outside the Hot 97 Summer Jam at around 7 p.m. That prompted security officials to close the gates to the event, creating a logjam of around 1,000 people. The paper reported that metal barriers were toppled and bottles were thrown at the police.

The paper reported that authorities responded to the disturbance by defensive V-shaped position. An armored state police vehicle began blasting a piercing loud noise to try to disperse the crowd and police later deployed tear gas. According to the Press, the crowd dispersed at around 10 p.m.

New Jersey State Police said in a statement that the disturbance began when crowds of people tried to "illegally" force their way into the sold out event by climbing over fences and forcing their way through security. Police said they insisted that everyone outside of the gate leave the stadium complex to avoid congestion when the concert ended. It wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries.

Videos and photos posted by people outside of the stadium on social media showed fights between concert goers and police in riot gear blocking the entrance. Images also showed police using large military-style vehicles to try to disperse the crowds.

The major concert is hosted annually by a New York hip-hop and R&B radio station and was headlined Sunday by Kendrick Lamar, Trey Songz, Big Sean and Chris Brown.

A spokesperson for Emmis New York, Hot 97's owners, said the concert had sold out earlier Sunday due to stronger-than-expected demand.

"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 Associated Press contributed to this report. 

No comments: