Christmas Day Movie Theater Brawl: 600 People Involved, 5 Arrested; Teens Sent to Rehabilitation Programs
A Fight Club Christmas was seen outside of a Jacksonville, Fla. movie theater this year as 600 people participated in an all-out brawl. Five teens have since been arrested, and two have made court appearances.
Police called the incident a "melee."
At around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, a group of theatergoers, mostly young people and juveniles, tried to bust through the Hollywood River City 14 movie theater's doors without tickets. According to police, the security guard, an off-duty police officer, was shoved.
"[The security officer then] administered pepper spray to disperse the group, locked the doors and called for backup, following protocol," Lauri-Ellen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, said.
Pepper spray was not enough, however, as "upward of 600 people moving throughout a parking lot about the size of a football field began fighting, disrupting and jumping on cars," according to Smith.
It took 62 police officers to break up the brawl. There were no gunshots fired, but there were minor injuries and property damage.
Five arrests have been made regarding the incident, according to police reports.
Tevyn Alonza Davis, 19, has been charged with affray, breach of the peace and resisting an officer without violence.
Jaquade Marquis Miller, 18, has been charged with affray and resisting an officer with violence. It is alleged that he tried to punch police officers while they were separating the crowd.
Khalil Ahmad Bradley, 17, was charged with misdemeanor public nuisance, refusal to disperse and resisting an officer without violence. He is accused of cursing and yelling racial slurs at police officers.
Two other juveniles were also charged, but their charges have not been made public.
Miller and Davis had court appearances on Thursday. Miller was released to the Save Our Sons program, and the judge is considering releasing Miller to the military after he expressed interest.
"If they had an alternative to turn to, besides being the way they are, you'd be surprised," Bracy Taylor, Save Our Sons treasurer, said. " ... We sit down with the boys, and we hear them, we give an ear to them."