SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — Bexley Park neighbors are now worried about what the summer brings as police broke up multiple fights in the area Sunday night.
According to South Euclid police, officers responded to reports of a potential disturbance involving a large gathering of juveniles and young adults at Bexley Park.
Throughout the evening, officers monitored the gathering, which grew to approximately 100 people, police said.
"The vast majority of those present were orderly and did not engage in any disruptive behavior," South Euclid Police Chief Joseph Mays said in a press release on Monday.
At approximately 7:21 p.m., multiple fights broke out in the northwest section of the park involving an estimated 30 individuals.
Julie Kensil's home butts up against Bexley Park. She was outside on her back porch when things went haywire.
"I started hearing [sirens]. They're like, 'The park is closed. Everybody evacuate,'" Kensil said. "We would see the police fly down the street. Kids were running terribly, too. It's kind of disappointing. This used to be the place where my kids used to go when they learned to swim, where we'd swing in the park when it was brand new, that, you know, the community helped build. This isn't what we had hoped for."
Kensil's next-door neighbor, Vontrise Bogarty, was home Sunday night listening to the chaos as well.
"I did hear a huge commotion, and it just sounded like a lot of people were running," Bogarty said. "I heard a lot of screaming. Where I live at, we sit right behind the pool, so we hear the kids yelling all the time from the pool, but this was a totally different yell. This was kinda like mass hysteria."
South Euclid police said they requested the assistance of multiple other law enforcement agencies.
According to Mays, as officers dispersed the crowd, groups of juveniles moved into surrounding neighborhoods, including the areas of Felton Road, Maplegrove Road, Lambert Road, Ellison Road and nearby streets.
During the dispersal effort, PepperBall rounds were deployed at the ground near the intersection of Miramar Road and Linell Road, according to police.
The deployment was used to encourage compliance with police commands and to reestablish safe conditions for both motorists and pedestrians. The measure was effective in achieving its intended purpose and contributed to the dispersal of the crowd, Mays wrote in a press release.
As a result of the incident, four juveniles were detained, then released to their parents or guardians.
No criminal charges have been filed as of Monday, although the investigation remains ongoing.
South Euclid police report no injuries to those involved, nor to anyone from the public.
"The South Euclid Police recognizes that large, unsupervised gatherings of juveniles organized through social media have become an increasing challenge for communities throughout Northeast Ohio and across the country," Mays said.
In April, the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights implemented a youth chaperone policy, citing the same social media trend called "Teen Takeover."
"While most young people attend these events without incident, law enforcement agencies nationwide have seen situations where large crowds can quickly escalate into fights, disorderly conduct, property damage, and public safety concerns. The department will continue working with parents, schools, community partners, and neighboring law enforcement agencies to proactively address these gatherings and ensure the safety of all residents and visitors," Mays said.
This most recent incident in South Euclid comes after the city and police department began implementing a new safety policy in Bexley Park.
RELATED: South Euclid bans facial coverings, oversized bags in city parks
Facial coverings and bags larger than 12x12x6 were banned at Bexley Park in early April as an attempt to deter crime.
"We’re not trying to be overly intrusive. We’re just trying to make a safe environment for everyone," Mays told me then.
Those who often visit Bexley Park with their kids, like Joseph Clark, said the area is fairly safe, even prior to the safety policy.
"Since the weather broke, we actually love coming to this park. It’s normally very quiet, peaceful," Clark said.
Clark told us that learning about Sunday's incident, though, is very discouraging.
"It's normally a nice, peaceful community. There's a lot of activities in this community, so there's so many things for them (juveniles) to do, and it's very unfortunate that they're choosing to put themselves in very compromising situations," Clark said.
Bogarty admitted that the warm weather tends to welcome mischief and that problems with teens have progressively gotten worse at Bexley Park.
"Last year, it kinda started with... a fall party they call it at the other end of Bexley Park, and they had to shut that down early because of kids and fighting and everything, so it's getting a little scary," Bogarty said.
Bogarty has called South Euclid home for more than 20 years, living on Bexley Road for a decade.
"It's extremely family-oriented. All the neighbors, we know each other, all the kids grew up together from kindergarten all the way up through high school. To know that all of a sudden now it may be kids running around and different things and fights and all of that, you know, kids are gonna fight, but that many is just, that's a little scary," Bogarty said.
She commended the South Euclid Police Department for the action they've taken thus far and how helpful it has been to the community.
Bogarty said she wants to see more of a presence in her neighborhood, though.
"Maybe putting more police stationed all the time at the park may give that illusion that there's more safety and that people are watching all the time instead of someone having to call and they come there," Bogarty said.
Kensil echoed the same. She said she thinks Bexley Park workers, as well as police, are doing a wonderful job so far.
"I think more police presence would be better at least this time," she told me on Monday.
To note, while I was at Bexley Park late Monday afternoon into the early evening, multiple police cars circled the area.
If charges come about stemming from Sunday's incident, We'll Follow Through.
Anyone with information regarding the disturbance is encouraged to contact the South Euclid Police Department.
