Crime & Safety
6 Arrested, Mall Evacuated After Chaos At Cambridge Shoe-Signing Event
CambridgeSide Galleria cleared after crowd at Desiigner, Jaylen Brown event got out of control, allegedly threw glass and bricks at police.
CAMBRIDGE, MA — A more than 1,000-strong crowd got out of hand and "aggressive" at the CambridgeSide Galleria during a shoe-signing appearance Monday night, according to Cambridge Police.
Police say they evacuated the mall after the event was disrupted "when a large contingent of attendees surged forward, knocking over barriers and individuals waiting in line. "
According to police, the crowd "grew more aggressive" as they attempted to clear the mall, resulting in crowd-control tactics that included the use of pepper spray. As a result of the spray, several from the crowd were sent to the hospital, police said.
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Bricks, glass and other objects were thrown at officers as they tried to disperse the crowd outside the mall, police stated. Contradicting previous news reports, police said no officers were injured.
Six juveniles—four boys and two girls—were arrested for charges including disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and trespassing, according to police.
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The signing event reportedly featured hip hop artist Desiigner and Boston Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown, who apparently never made it into the building.
"Sorry I was not able to make it to (Champs Sports)," Brown tweeted. "The police had to shut down the mall before I arrived. I'll try to reschedule it soon."
Video from the scene showed hundreds of people swarming inside the mall, prior to the police evacuation:
when you have this many people come out to meet you you know you're doing something right @LifeOfDesiigner pic.twitter.com/XeNXx1ozPP
— Dr dro (@Dr_Danks) November 7, 2016
Tonight, police shut down a Desiigner meet & greet at CambridgeSide Galleria including police pepper spraying high schoolers. Unclear why... pic.twitter.com/HpSjjyRMvI
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) November 7, 2016
Police shut it down we here tho @LifeOfDesiigner pic.twitter.com/lwlq77w991
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) November 7, 2016
Officers on the scene were from the Cambridge Police Department with support from the State Police, MIT Police, Harvard Police, Somerville Police and Everett Police.
Police asked motorists to avoid the area during the incident.
Patch will update this story.
Reporting by Alison Bauter, Patch staff.
Photo courtesy @OrangeJackius. Used with permission.
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