ST. CLAIR SHORES (WWJ) -- Police in St. Clair Shores responded to break up a crowd during the annual Harper Cruise Wednesday night. Now they're looking over social media and body cam video of the incident.
At around 9 p.m. on Aug. 26, St. Clair Shores police officers put out a call to neighboring departments for assistance after reports that a "very rowdy crowd" of several hundred people had formed in and around the parking lot of the Nino Salvaggio’s grocery store on Harper.
While the cruise was proceeding normally in the early evening, by around 8:30 p.m. witnesses said things took a turn, with teens and young adults on e-bikes, mini bikes and motorcycles driving recklessly on sidewalks and in the street between cars.
There were reports of louds revving of engines, burnouts, and fights.
Video being shared across social media shows police officers moving in to break up the crowd, ordering people to go home.
In one clip, shared on in the St. Clair Shores Michigan Residents Facebook group, a police officer is seen shoving what appears to be a teenager, telling him to to "Get the f— out of here."
Note: The following videos contain profanity. See them HERE, HERE and HERE.
In a statement, Police Chief Jason Allen said thousands of people were in attendance at the cruise.
He said officers responded to Nino's at around 9 p.m. "due to an unruly, unpermitted gathering of approximately 500 people."
There was a private even being held at Nino Salvaggio’s, called "Cars and Cannoli's" — but it's unclear how many people in the crowd were actually connected to that event.
"Attendees were told to leave and they refused. As the situation began to escalate, officers from six other agencies responded to assist with the dispersal," the chief said.
During the response, Allen said police made one arrest was made and one person reported being the victim of a felonious assault.
Officers were on scene for approximately an hour, until the crowd left, according to the chief.
Allen did not immediately comment on suggestions that some officers did not handle things correctly, but said: "We are aware of social media videos of the response. These videos, along with body worn camera footage, are being internally reviewed."
No further information was released.
