It was pandemonium at Summer Jam in New Jersey as state troopers in riot gear confronted fans they say were trying to illegally enter the annual hip-hop showcase.
Videos and photos posted on social media show bottles being thrown Sunday night, people being arrested, fans screaming — and pepper spray being pointed.
In all, 61 people were arrested, state police say, and 10 officers suffered “minor injuries.” “Charges for those arrested ranged from soliciting without a permit and trespassing to possession of a weapon and assault,” cops said. “The majority of charges were for disorderly behavior.” “A small group of highly disruptive people ruined this concert for many others. They created a danger to ticket-holders, stadium employees and troopers on the scene,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “Our troopers took the appropriate steps to restore order to what was a brief and volatile situation.” The event was sponsored by Hot 97, and one of it big voices, Ebro, host of “Ebro in the Morning” is blaming the few who got out of hand for the trouble.
“The people that made it go sideways, you’re an idiot,” he said. “Throwing bottles at the state troopers, we don’t like that.”
Co-host Laura Stylez agreed: “You cannot throw bottles at police … What is wrong with you?”
“You’re trying to ruin it for everybody,” Ebro said. “Shame on you.”
Some fans complained cops used excessive force and were disrespectful to the fans with tickets who were quietly waiting to get in.
New Jersey State Police say they were trying to restore order when thing got nasty.
“Troopers assisted with closing the gates to restore order. They were briefly re-opened to try to accommodate those with tickets who had not yet entered, but they were closed again when non-ticket holders attempted to push their way in,” the police Facebook statement said. “Some legitimate ticket holders were not able to get into the concert because of the dangerous and illegal actions of others,” police concede.
The statment continued:
“Multiple people in the crowd outside the gate threw bottles and trash at police and security. Troopers used protective equipment including shields and helmets to avoid injuries from flying objects. Additional troopers were called in from nearby stations to assist. Noise generators, pepper spray and tear gas were used to disperse people who refused to clear the area outside of the main gate.”
For those whose Summer Jam tickets were not scanned, refunds will be offered at point of purchase.
— HOT 97 (@HOT97) June 8, 2015
@HOT97 @MLStadium
TY for the refund BUT all I wanted was to enjoy the show. @NJSP made things worse and treated us like garbage!
— Marcela Mitaynes (@R67Girl) June 8, 2015
Some hip-hop fans who came to see the likes ofKendrick Lamar, Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Big Sean said they were turned away even though they had tickets. HOT 97 radio tweeted that fans with unscanned tickets can get refunds from “point of purchase.”
“(Thank you) for the refund BUT all I wanted was to enjoy the show. @NJSP made things worse and treated us like garbage!” one fan tweeted.
PHOTO: Several crowd control arrests made at #SummerJam concert: http://t.co/CPlLqdU29E (Photo: @JSmoove715) pic.twitter.com/sR9SztqWP7
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) June 8, 2015
