100 Police Officers Respond To 'Defiant' KOP Mall Crowd

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — About 100 police officers were called to the scene of an increasingly "defiant" crowd at the King of Prussia Mall early Saturday in the midst of the bizarrely popular release of a new brand of watch, authorities said.

The incident occurred at around 4 a.m. Saturday, May 16 at the Swatch store in the Plaza section of the mall.

A group of several hundred had gathered to enter the mall before it opened, police said.

Numerous attendees said the resell value of a new watch being sold by Swatch could be potentially hundreds or thousands more than the retail price.

An initial group of officers attempted to move the crowd back to the doors to prevent them from entering the mall when it was closed, but the crowd grew increasingly larger and more unruly, police said.

That's when additional officers were called to the scene to control the crowd.

"Officers dispersed the main group, but others continued to attempt to enter the mall, breaking down doors," Upper Merion police said. "Officers deployed to each location to prevent further damage to the mall, entry into stores, and looting."

Only one person was arrested and charged with defiant trespassing.

No injuries were reported.

The mall was shut down until noon Saturday, and Swatch did not open its doors until Sunday.

Swatch issued a statement on Saturday after similar swarms in other stores, urging guests "to not rush to our stores in large numbers."