Arizona State Fair: Up To 60 Teens Involved In Carnival Brawl

Ah, the Sate Fair – Fun, sun, rickety rides, farm animals, games and everything deep fried, enormous, or wrapped in bacon! Oh, and at the Arizona State Fair, dozens of teens beating each other up in a no holds barred, let the fists fly, all out brawl.

Dozens of teens were taken into custody Friday night following the massive whirl of fisticuffs at the Grand Canyon State’s, state fair in Phoenix, reports AZFamily.com.

According to police, there were as many as 60 teens involved in the fight, all from the same neighborhood, the brawling teens choosing the first night of the Arizona State Fair to start swinging.

Police also noted that apparently just fighting between each other wasn’t enough, as they also started fighting with police officers who were stepping in to try to get the situation under control.

In fact, a non-teen, alleged adult woman, was reportedly kicking and hitting a police officer. Of the two adults arrested at the Arizona State Fair teen fight, it’s no surprise that she was one of them.

After the fight was brought more or less under control inside the Arizona State Fair grounds, the teens transitioned the brawl outside the grounds, with fighting reported to have continued several blocks from the 19th Avenue and McDowell Road location of the Arizona State Fair.

35 teens were rounded up and arrested Friday night before being released to their parents, said police. The Arizona Department of Public Safety said they had about 75 law enforcement personnel from several different agencies working the Arizona State Fair Friday night.

Come Saturday, following the teen brawl and resulting arrests, AZ Central reports that Arizona State Fair officials were confident that a repeat of Friday night’s teen brawl was unlikely and those planning to visit the Arizona State Fair had nothing to fear or be concerned about.

New details about the Arizona State Fair teen brawl also came to light Saturday, the big fight actually beginning with multiple fights that erupted within a large crowd in the middle of the fair grounds by the carousel. No major injuries were reported and the fights were considered a brief disturbance in the overall Arizona State Fair festivities.

Captain Deston Coleman with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and commander of officer personnel at the Arizona State Fair, said the the small fights that started in the crowded area near the carrousel metamorphosed into the larger brawl that involved 40 to 60 combatants, mostly teenagers.

“The problem was swiftly dealt with,” said Coleman.

Those arrested were taken into custody for suspicion of assault, assault of an officer and disorderly conduct. None are suspected gang members, and according to Coleman, the Arizona State Fair is still a safe place for everyone.

“Our goal is to allow people to come down to the fair and have a good time,” said Coleman.

The Arizona State Fair runs through November 2nd.

Image, Pat Shannahan via AZ Central