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Incident at Bridge Street Town Center

08/17/2015

PRESS RELEASE

 

Madison County Sheriff’s Office

Huntsville, Alabama

Blake L. Dorning-Sheriff

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Incident at Bridge Street Town Center

August 17, 2015

 

Sheriff Blake Dorning announced today that during the evening at approximately 10:00 pm Saturday, August 15, 2015, Deputies with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, who were working a special detail at Bridge Street Towne Center, observed several hundred individuals, mostly unescorted and unsupervised juveniles, involved in several physical altercations within their groups. Additionally information was obtained about a witness in the group observing a firearm. The crowd grew to a point where additional law enforcement officers were needed to maintain order. Huntsville Police Department, ALEA State Troopers, Owens Cross Roads Police Department, New Hope Police Department, and the Madison Police Department responded to assist in dispersing the crowd. It took over an hour to restore order to the incident. No weapons were discovered. During the process of maintaining order and dispersing the crowd, several arrests for Disorderly Conduct were affected as well as Trespass Warnings issued. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office arrested a juvenile for Assault 2nd Degree for assaulting a Deputy. The Deputy used his agency issued Taser and O.C. Spray to help gain compliance to the arrestee as well as to disperse other subjects attempting to hinder the arrest. Another juvenile was arrested by the Huntsville Police Department.

Sheriff Dorning said that parents and/or guardians should be aware of the juvenile escort policy for the Bridge Street Town Center and that unsupervised juvenile activity Saturday evening is the underlying reason for the incident. Parents should know where and with whom their children are with as well as their activities and any rules, policy, or procedures for their presence at any location. Unsupervised juvenile activity is a leading cause of trouble for teenagers when involved in a crowd.

Questions concerning this release may be directed to Madison County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigator Jeremy Hughes 256-533-8857.