A female police officer was attacked and dragged into a Fourth of July street melee in South Carolina during a neighborhood fireworks show.
The assault took place near Chicora Community Park, where WCSC-TV reported roughly 400 people had gathered, and video captured the attack on the North Charleston officer.
The footage showed the officer on the ground as a young man appeared to hold her down, while one female attacker punched her and another came in with an object that appeared to be a baton.
Another officer rushed into the struggle, knocking the woman with the baton-like weapon down and seizing one of the teens nearby. A taser finally broke up the cluster around the downed officer.
The young man appeared to keep his grip until the responding officer pressed a knee into his chest.
Moments later, he and another person were shown in handcuffs as the crowd looked on.
The chaos followed what had started as a permitted North Charleston block party before police say the night spiraled into gunfire reports, fireworks shot toward cars and brawls in the street.
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Before the event, North Charleston police said commanders and organizers had discussed parking and traffic logistics meant to keep emergency routes open.
Around 8:30 p.m., officers started getting the first danger calls from the area, including reports of gunfire and fireworks being aimed at vehicles.
Police said people at the scene reported firearms being discharged, prompting officers to announce repeatedly that the party was over and urge the crowd to clear out safely.
The announcements did not stop the violence, according to police, who said more fighting followed along with additional gunfire.
Officers then moved into the crowd from their patrol cars, trying to break up fights and regain control of the scene.
The scene later yielded multiple firearms and a makeshift spear, according to North Charleston police.
Police described more than one officer being attacked and said the arrests were tied to individual conduct at the scene.
“Multiple officers were physically assaulted, with two female officers sustaining minor injuries,” the department said, adding that “several attendees were arrested as a result of their own actions.”
At a press conference, North Charleston Police Chief Ron Camacho said both injured female officers were already back on duty.
Speaking to WCSC, Camacho put the arrest total at three juveniles and one adult.
“At least one or two of those arrests were for assaulting an officer,” he said.
More arrests could follow as investigators continue going through body camera video, Camacho warned.
Camacho cautioned that the viral footage did not show the full response.
“What you got on that social media, you’re looking at one little snippet, at one little video. We were out there for an extended period of time,” he said.
The department’s written response promised prosecution. “Attacks on law enforcement are unacceptable and those responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” police said.
“The safety of our residents and visitors remains our highest priority. We appreciate the cooperation of the many attendees who complied with officers’ instructions.”
Three adults and four juveniles were later arrested over the attack. They face charges that include third degree assault by mob, assault on police while resisting arrest, and resisting arrest.
18-year-old Sa’Mya Adriana Collette Weaver was charged with breach of peace and assault on police. 19-year-old Giovanni Mekhi Sincere Campbell faces a charge of possession of a machine gun.
21-year-old Dejuan Ravenel was charged with unlawful taking of a weapon from law enforcement, in connection with theft of a Taser and loaded gun magazines from on of the female officers who was attacked.
That same holiday weekend, another crowd-control breakdown put police in the middle of a larger Independence Day surge on the opposite coast.
Newport Beach officials later put the arrest count at 402 after a social-media-driven crowd flooded the Newport Pier area during the holiday.
Officials said the crowd formed with startling speed. “Social media posts drew a large influx of juveniles and young adults to the Newport Pier area within a matter of minutes” on July 4.
As thousands packed into the area, city officials said the disorder created risks for families, visitors, first responders and emergency routes.
The response required hundreds of officers. “More than 350 officers responded quickly to restore order, reopen emergency access routes and protect the community,” officials said.
On West Balboa Boulevard, KTLA-TV said footage showed a packed parking lot where the unrest included fighting, vandalism and looting at local businesses, including a grocery store.
In a Sunday statement cited by the outlet, the city blamed a “large group of unruly juveniles and young adults” for creating dangerous conditions on the Balboa Peninsula.
Although tens of thousands had visited Newport Beach earlier in the day, officials said the flashpoint came later when online posts sent a large crowd toward Newport Pier.
The reports matched earlier online promotion for a Newport Beach “TikTok Takeover.”
City officials framed the surge as an immediate danger to public safety.
“As the crowd rapidly grew, individuals engaged in increasingly dangerous and unlawful behavior, blocking roadways, restricting emergency vehicle access, and throwing explosive mortars, fireworks, and other projectiles at police officers, into densely packed crowds and near families with children,” the statement said, according to the local outlet.
“The sudden influx of thousands of people into a confined area within a short period of time created an immediate threat to public safety and required a coordinated regional law enforcement response.”
KTLA reported that police ultimately treated the gathering as an unlawful assembly while officers moved to regain control.
A mortar also hit a Newport Beach police officer, who received treatment at the scene before being released. The outlet placed the arrest window from midnight July 3 through 6 a.m. July 5.
About 200 arrests were tied to refusal to obey dispersal orders, while officials said people “responsible for inciting the crowd, engaging in violent, criminal behavior, and threatening public safety” were also arrested.
