GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Police Department responded to a fight near Rosa Parks Circle around 8:30 Saturday night.
GRPD said it involved people who attended a permitted concert downtown. Then, some of them broke out into smaller groups – before at least one fight broke out. Officers in the area broke people up and everyone dispersed.
Some people fleeing the area told responding officers that they had heard a gun go off. But GRPD had officers nearby who said they didn’t hear or see one. Furthermore, officers failed to find a victim or shell casings.
At least one arrest was made.
Then around 1:30 a.m., officers were called to Ottawa Ave., near Fulton to reports of hundreds of people, from the original crowd, partying in the streets and causing a disturbance. The GRPD’s Lt. Desk said when officers arrived, they found roughly 300 people, among other things, doing burnouts and dancing in the streets.
When officers tried to break up the crowd, they were encircled, with people throwing bottles at them. Officers then called for backup.
Supporting units helped break up the crowd. At least one arrest was made, and most people ended up leaving the area on their own, once back-up showed up.
GRPD said all in all, that it could not confirm any shots being fired. There were no gunshot victims reported at local hospitals.
GRPD noted that Saturday night’s disturbances are part of a trend that has been going on for a few weeks in a row this summer. Young people, primarily teenagers, make their way downtown in large numbers, starting street parties and causing disturbances.
