http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2014/12/17/Crowd-police-clash-outside-Franklin-Park-Mall.html
<header>[h=1]Crowd, police clash outside Franklin Park Mall[/h] [h=2]Witnesses say officers used pepper spray[/h] BLADE STAFF
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</header> Toledo police early today used pepper spray on a crowd that had gathered outside the Franklin Park Mall for a chance to buy a Nike Air Jordan shoe later this week.
Several witnesses told The Blade they saw police spray into the crowd. No injuries were reported after the incident at 5:30 a.m.
Jeremiah Fletcher, 19, who was waiting in line, said police fired pepper spray about three to four times. People fell down after the incident, he said, but he did not see anyone seriously hurt as a result.
Toledo police Sgt. Anthony Gillen said police had been at the mall since 3:35 a.m. He said several police officers were pushed by the crowd. He said they had to control the crowd.
Just after 7:30 a.m. today, a crowd of about 300 that had lined up outside the mall's Finish Line store started to disperse. Those in the crowd said tickets were out at the store for the right to buy the Air Jordan Retro "Legend Blue" shoe.
The shoe goes on sale Saturday.
Toledo police were called to the mall, by mall security, for the crowd and additional officers were called as the crowd grew, according to an incident report. Mall representatives put “barriers” in place to control the crowd, but police said the crowd of about 200 broke through a police perimeter and “over ran officers,” the report states. The report also states that officers were “knocked to the ground and enveloped by the crowd” prompting the use of pepper spray and pepper balls.
Similar ticket distributions have created issues with crowds elsewhere. In Houston, police were called several days ago to handle large crowds.
In one instance there, police used a Taser on a teenage girl, according to reports.
The shoe sells for $200.
<header>[h=1]Crowd, police clash outside Franklin Park Mall[/h] [h=2]Witnesses say officers used pepper spray[/h] BLADE STAFF
Share5 Tweet7 0 Reddit0 0 Email8
</header> Toledo police early today used pepper spray on a crowd that had gathered outside the Franklin Park Mall for a chance to buy a Nike Air Jordan shoe later this week.
Several witnesses told The Blade they saw police spray into the crowd. No injuries were reported after the incident at 5:30 a.m.
Jeremiah Fletcher, 19, who was waiting in line, said police fired pepper spray about three to four times. People fell down after the incident, he said, but he did not see anyone seriously hurt as a result.
Toledo police Sgt. Anthony Gillen said police had been at the mall since 3:35 a.m. He said several police officers were pushed by the crowd. He said they had to control the crowd.
Just after 7:30 a.m. today, a crowd of about 300 that had lined up outside the mall's Finish Line store started to disperse. Those in the crowd said tickets were out at the store for the right to buy the Air Jordan Retro "Legend Blue" shoe.
The shoe goes on sale Saturday.
Toledo police were called to the mall, by mall security, for the crowd and additional officers were called as the crowd grew, according to an incident report. Mall representatives put “barriers” in place to control the crowd, but police said the crowd of about 200 broke through a police perimeter and “over ran officers,” the report states. The report also states that officers were “knocked to the ground and enveloped by the crowd” prompting the use of pepper spray and pepper balls.
Similar ticket distributions have created issues with crowds elsewhere. In Houston, police were called several days ago to handle large crowds.
In one instance there, police used a Taser on a teenage girl, according to reports.
The shoe sells for $200.
