FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — Four juveniles were taken into custody, and later released, after an incident at Sky Zone in Fairview Heights last weekend.
On Saturday, June 26 at around 10:30 p.m., Fairview Heights police officers were called to Sky Zone on Lincoln Trail for a report of a disturbance inside the business.
When officers arrived, they were told the disturbance had ended but there were still more than 200 people, mostly juveniles, in the business. Management asked the officers to help clear them out to close.
The crowd was so large, several other agencies were requested to help control and escort the juveniles away from the business, Fairview Heights police reported in a news release. While officers were there, several fights broke out in the parking lot, police said.
Officers broke up the fights “while surrounded by hundreds of juveniles” and took four girls into custody. They were held for disorderly conduct and obstructing a peace officer, according to the release. They were later released to their parents or legal guardian.
The department said it is are aware of videos of the incident being circulated and are “investigating the conduct of the patrons and officers on scene.”
A 10-second video that was shared with 5 On Your Side shows a crowd of people and a police officer sitting on top of a young girl.
"This video is hard to watch," said Fairview Heights Ward 2 Alderman Ryan Vickers. "It's another example of police using excessive force against Black people, in this case, young Black teens.
"This is not a charge to all officers or police leadership. I want to make sure there's an investigation and transparency to make sure there's open lines of communication between the department and community."
There were four Fairview Heights police officers on duty who were assisted by the O’Fallon, Caseyville and Belleville police departments and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.
Police said there were no injuries reported during the incident.