Flash Grenade, Smoke Deployed At NJ Shore Beach Party

LONG BRANCH, NJ — Thousands of people converged at Pier Village in Long Branch Saturday night in response to a social media "pop-up party."

Scattered fights broke out in the mass gathering, and one police car was vandalized, said the Monmouth County Prosecutor. In total, 11 adults and four teens were arrested, most charged in relation to the fighting. One person was charged with vandalizing the police car.

To disperse the crowds, one flash bang or stun grenade was used by police, and smoke was deployed, said Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey. This was done by officers with the NJ Department of Corrections officers, who were brought in to help Long Branch police. A stun grenade is a loud noise and bright light sometimes used by police to disperse crowds.

This was done assist "in limited situations in response to fights taking place and bottles and rocks being thrown where the crowd would not disperse," said the prosecutor.

The crowds were so great that the city of Long Branch also implemented a strict 9 p.m. curfew for the entire city Saturday night.

Nobody was allowed out walking or in a car on public streets after 9 p.m.

Some on social media decried the curfew as authoritarian, unnecessary and even racist.

But the party created a public safety emergency, said Linskey, although she stressed that most partygoers were peaceful and said "the vast majority left peacefully after the announcement of the curfew."

"A large-scale gathering encouraged by a flyer posted on social media caused thousands of people to arrive in the town of Long Branch, specifically, areas in and around Pier Village," said her office in a press release on the matter. "The majority of those people arrived by train. At certain points the crowd was estimated to be several thousand people."

"A public safety emergency ensued as a result of multiple fights breaking out throughout parts of the city involving the partygoers," said her office.

Long Branch Police were overwhelmed, and the following police agencies were called in to assist: Monmouth County Emergency Response Team (MOCERT), Monmouth and Middlesex Rapid Deployment Forces (RDF), Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Department of Corrections and NJ Transit Police.

“I would like to thank all of our local law enforcement agencies and our state partners for their response to today’s incident. Responding agencies worked in unison to create a swift, professional and tactical response to what was evolving as a dangerous situation. We appreciate the efforts of Long Branch city officials issuing tonight’s curfew in response to the public safety situation. Their efforts are to be commended," said Linksey.

As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 11 adults and 4 juveniles were arrested in connection with the fights that broke out.

Although the one police vehicle was vandalized, there were no significant injuries or property damage reported at this time.

The names of those arrested and charged have not been released by police.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.Baldwin@patch.com