9 Arrested In White Marsh Mall Disturbance: Police

NOTTINGHAM, MD — Officers were called to White Marsh Mall Saturday night for a report of a disturbance, and they ended up arresting nine people, police said. There were no injuries, according to Officer Jen Peach, spokeswoman for the Baltimore County Police Department.

Seven of those arrested were juveniles, and two were adults, according to police.

The mall in the 8200 block of Perry Hall Boulevard closes at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

After 9 p.m., mall security was attempting to get a large group of juveniles to leave, Peach said.

"They had all come on a bus, and they started giving the security guards there a problem," Peach said. Among the personnel was one Baltimore County police officer in his secondary employment working at White Marsh Mall.

"Once they got into the parking lot, there was some sort of heated exchange," Peach said: "...and one of the adults swung at one of the officers." The group, which she said was described by one officer as consisting of at least 60 people, included both juveniles and adults.

"The officer raised up his arm and blocked the punch," she said.

Then the officer released pepper spray up in the air to get the crowd to disperse, and Peach said the members of the group ran in different directions afterward.

Some blocked traffic in Ring Road around the mall, and some went to The Avenue at White Marsh, she said.

A police helicopter was called to help break up the crowd, as well as officers from the Dundalk, White Marsh, Essex and Parkville precincts and the Maryland State Police Golden Ring barrack, according to Peach.

Seven juveniles and one adult were arrested for disorderly conduct, she said.

Police expect to charge another adult with second-degree assault and resisting arrest, in connection with trying to punch the officer, she told Patch.

By 10 p.m., Peach said police were clearing the scene and circling back to ensure everyone left from the crowd.

File photo by Elizabeth Janney.