Cops Disperse Hundreds After Late-Night Brouhaha In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police made two arrests and reported a pair of injuries to a pair of Essex County teens during a huge, rowdy, late-night brouhaha in Downtown South Orange last weekend, authorities say.

According to the South Orange Police Department, “disorderly conduct” and fighting allegedly took place as the crowd of 300 to 400 youths and young adults - most of them on foot – started gathering along Sloan Street around 8 p.m. on April 29.

Authorities didn’t offer immediate comment on the possible reason for the gathering, or where the individuals in the mob may have come from.

Overwhelmed by the size of the crowd, South Orange police dispatched all available officers to the area, eventually calling in aid from police departments in Maplewood and Orange, as well as the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said.

According to police, as the crowd grew, “disturbances began to surface” and officers allegedly saw some of the individuals “interfering with vehicular and pedestrian traffic and causing serious concerns.”

South Orange police closed the southbound section of Sloan Street at South Orange Avenue around 8:30 p.m. when several people allegedly began to gather in the road and “physical altercations” began to break out in the crowd.

With assistance from their neighboring police agencies, South Orange officers began to “disperse the crowd in a safe and orderly manner” around 9:30 p.m., substantially thinning the crowd and dissipating any potential threats around midnight, authorities said.

There were no reports of any weapons observed or used by any individuals during the entire incident, authorities said.

Police said that a 15-year-old South Orange male was physically assaulted during the incident and received injuries to the face and mouth. In addition, two males allegedly kicked and injured a 15-year-old female Maplewood resident.

The South Orange Rescue Squad reported that it responded to the scene and treated a “sick person” and an “assault.”

South Orange police arrested two members of the crowd, Paris Armwood, 20, of Newark, and Qaadir Mayewillis, 20, of East Orange, and charged them with disorderly conduct as a result of alleged “physical confrontations” during the incident, authorities said.

“The South Orange Detective Bureau is actively investigating the reported incidents in an effort to hold accountable any individuals determined to be responsible for said incidents,” Chief Kyle Kroll stated. “At this time, the police department will continue to increase its presence in the downtown area as the warmer days and evenings approach; including assigning officers to additional foot patrols in the immediate area.”

“South Orange continues to welcome all people to enjoy everything our village has to offer, but expects all visitors to conduct themselves with civility and without impacting public safety or intruding on the ability of other people to similarly enjoy our village,” Kroll added.

Anyone with information about any incidents occurring during this event can contact Detective Lieutenant Brian McGuire at (973) 763-3000 ext.7788.

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