Crime & Safety
8 Brick Teens Charged As Officers Break Up Maple Leaf Fight
Brick police were trying to arrest a teen girl who spit on them when the kids became unruly; one officer was injured, police said.
BRICK, NJ — Eight teenagers are facing riot charges after a call to police about a fight in the Maple Leaf condominium complex led to a Brick police officer being injured on Friday night, police said.
Police did not name the teens because all are juveniles, Sgt. Jim Kelly said. At least one is a girl. All were being held at the county's juvenile detention center.
Police were called to 254 Sawmill Road about 3:45 p.m. Friday for a report of a fight, Kelly said. Two officers approached the group to investigate but as they tried to figure out what had happened, a teenage girl walked away from the group.
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Police told her to stop, but she refused, and as police tried to stop her, she turned and spit on the officer, Kelly said. The girl was then arrested.
A large crowd then started to form, he said, with more than dozen people crowding the officers. The group became unruly, crowding the officers and threatening bodily harm, with two teens threatening to kill the officers, Kelly said.
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The officers tried to keep the crowd away as they secured the arrested girl, but the crowd kept yelling, threatening and taunting the officers, he said. The crowd kept pushing up against the officers, and pushing past them.
One officer was struck as a result, he said.
More Brick police responded, and officers from Lakewood and Toms River came to assist as well. But even the additional officers, the crowd continued to grow and those involved refused to obey officers' orders to disperse, he said.
That led to seven more teens being arrested, Kelly said. All eight were between the ages of 14 and 17, he said. All live in the Maple Leaf complex.
All eight were charged with riot, and many had additional charges filed, Kelly said, including aggravated assault, resisting arrest, obstruction, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.
One Brick officer received minor injuries and was treated by Brick Police EMS.
All of the teens are being held at the county's juvenile detention center.
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