Police Wind Up Arresting 7 from Hartford After Massive Fight at Manchester Shopping Mall

MANCHESTER, CT ― Police have arrested seven people in connection with a large fight involving hundreds of teens that forced them to shut down the Buckland Hills shopping mall on Monday.

Police released arrest details on Tuesday morning. Two adults were involved and their booking mug shots were released. The others were juveniles and police are not allowed to release their mugs shots or names.

Here are the details from a police-issued news release:

• Raekwon Gaines, 20, of 17 Barber St., Hartford, was charged with second-degree breach of peace.
• Solomon Wilson-Frame, 19, of 16 Hunnington St., Hartford, was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer.
• A 15-year-old male from Hartford was charged with breach of peace.
• A 14-year-old male from Hartford was charged with breach of peace and interfering with an officer.
• A 15-year-old female from Hartford was charged with breach of peace and first-degree criminal trespass.
• A 16-year-old male from Hartford was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, interfering with an officer and breach of peace.
• A 16-year-old male from Hartford was charged with first-degree criminal trespass and breach of peace.

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In Manchester, Police converged on and eventually shut down the Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall on Monday night after a large fight broke out involving hundreds of teens.

On Monday at 5:30 p.m., a disturbance involving approximately eight to 10 teenagers was reported at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills Mall, police said.

Some Manchester officers were already at the mall and responded to break up the fight, police said.
It was estimated that there were several hundred teenagers inside the mall and several other fights broke out around the same time, police said.

The situation turned so chaotic with with hundreds of people inside the mall that a request for mutual aid was put out to surrounding jurisdictions and state police, East Hartford police, Vernon police, South Windsor police and Glastonbury police all sent personnel to help clear out the mall and get the situation under control, police said.

One Manchester Police officer was assaulted while attempting to break up the first fight, although he did not sustain any significant injuries and did not require medical attention, police said. There were no other reported injuries to anyone involved, police said.

There was no report of weapons being involved and there is no indication that any of the fights were gang-related, police said.

Photo Credit: Patch file photo; Manchester police (Wilson-Frame and Gaines mug shots)