Tensions flared Friday night in Riverbend Park when a large group of teenagers reportedly refused to disperse during a routine police patrol.
Authorities say officers were called to the park around 10:30 p.m. after reports of loud music and disruptive behavior. When officers arrived, they encountered dozens of teens gathered near the basketball courts, some of whom allegedly began shouting and blocking the paths.
Police attempted to calmly ask the crowd to leave, but according to reports, a handful of individuals started taunting officers, chanting, and filming the encounter on their phones.
“The situation quickly escalated because some in the group refused to comply with basic instructions,” a police spokesperson said. “We do not want confrontation, but safety and law enforcement come first.”
Officers say they used a combination of verbal commands and strategic positioning to de-escalate the situation. A few teens were detained for disorderly conduct, while others left voluntarily.
Witnesses described the scene as “chaotic but tense,” with some noting that social media cameras seemed to fuel the defiance:
“It felt like they were trying to prove a point more than anything else,” one bystander said.
Authorities emphasized that the goal was to maintain public safety and prevent the situation from turning violent.
