Arrests at Bonnaroo drop by half in 2019, but citations up more than 95%
MANCHESTER, Tenn. June 21 2019– Law enforcement overseeing the 18th annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival said they arrested and cited 374 people during this year’s festival, a significant increase from the previous year’s numbers.
While arrests were down by more than half, citations were up by more than 95%during the four-day music festival held June 13-16 in Manchester, records from local and state agencies working Bonnaroo show.
Overall, there were 354 citations issued by all law enforcement combined — up from 181 last year.
Officers, deputies and state troopers made 20 Bonnaroo-related arrests, down from 45 in 2018.
Most of the arrests and citations were drug- and alcohol-related, authorities said.
Deputies with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department — the agency that made the most arrests and citations, wrote 230 citations during the event. Sheriff’s department spokesman Billy Butler said all of them were for possession of a controlled substance. Drugs found included marijuana, molly and acid.
The department arrested 15 people on charges including public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance and theft.
Manchester police arrested two people, both on drug-related charges, said Adam Floied, the department’s assistant chief. Officers cited 86 people, including for drug-related charges and others such as shoplifting and speeding.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol arrested three people — two on suspicion of driving under the influence and one for driving with a revoked license. Troopers cited 38 people for violations including texting while driving, not wearing a seatbelt and open containers.
The arrests
One of the bigger arrests this year came June 14 on the festival’s second day, Butler said, after Bonnaroo security received multiple reports of cellphones and other personal items being pickpocketed during the night’s entertainment lineup.
Security spotted the activity and officials arrested Buford Munley, 27, of Palmer, Tennessee.
In all, 30 items were taken, security reported.
Butler said Munley, charged with misdemeanor theft of property under $1,000, was caught with one of the stolen phones.
Many of the stolen items, Bonnaroo organizers said, were recovered.
Two days earlier, police arrested a man after two pipe bombs were found in Manchester about 4 miles from away from festival grounds.
On June 12, Manchester police charged Justin McCart, 29, of Shelton Road for possessing explosive devices after authorities found two pipe bombs on Walker Street in the city.
In an interview with police, McCart told officers he threw the bombs on the street “to scare his girlfriend,” an arrest affidavit shows. No one was injured.
The activity was unrelated to Bonnaroo in any way, police and organizers said.
Tennessean
