Security officers attacked and beaten at New Jersey concert
HOWELL NJ Nov 6 2017— Attendees of a hardcore music festival beat a group of security guards who tried to stop a man from moshing at GameChangerWorld on Route 9, township police said in a news release.
Howell police said a security guard was punched in the face during Saturday’s “Loud Fest” while trying to escort a combative man outside the building. Police said the situation erupted into a melee as some concert attendees joined the fight and began punching and kicking the group of four security guards.
One of the security guards broke away from the fight and called police, authorities said in a news release.
Police said security guards had lost teeth, suffered various head, facial and eye injuries, and at least one lost consciousness as a result of the fight. Some of the guards suffered cuts to the ear, rib pain, dizziness, nausea and blurry vision, police said. Each guard was taken to a local hospital by Howell Police EMS and Howell First Aid.
Attendees were also hurt in the fight, police said.
Event organizer Greg Diamond blamed a security guard in a Facebook post for the concert being shut down by police.
“Fights happen at shows all of the time, this was a completely isolated incident that would’ve been easily solved and moved on from & the show could’ve easily continued,” Diamond wrote.
“This security guard took it upon himself to call the police to say that there was a ‘riot’ and that things were completely out of hand,” he added. “To anyone that attended this show, they could easily see that everything was quite the opposite. The cops showed up in response to this call of a ‘riot’ to see a bunch of people hanging out outside and bands continuing to play.”
Diamond said the festival continued at a venue in Trenton later that night.
Howell Police are continuing to investigate. The man who was moshing is described as white, bald and wearing a black shirt. Police said he and the people involved in the assault fled.
“Interviews will continue to be conducted. Video surveillance will be reviewed,” police wrote on Facebook.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Howell Police Detective Sgt. Antunez at 732-938-4575, ext. 2243 or cantunez@howellpolice.org, or Officer Scherbinski at 732-938-4575, ext. 2660 or hscherbinski@howellpolice.org.
Anonymous tips can be submitted at www.p3tips.com.
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