As tens of thousands of revelers flocked to the Jersey Shore for Memorial Day weekend, police said that a string of stabbings and fights resulted in the closing of a popular boardwalk and the arrest of over 70 people, including 21 juveniles.
Despite precautions intended to avoid any problems following a similar outbreak of chaotic violence during last year’s long holiday weekend, the violence in Seaside Heights took place over a 72-hour period, starting early Friday and ending about 6 a.m. Monday.
Over the weekend, officers detained 21 children and 52 adults, according to Seaside Heights Detective Steve Korman.
No arrests were made because all three of the young men who were stabbed within a block of the famous boardwalk refused to cooperate with investigators, Korman said.
Following the third stabbing shortly after midnight Monday, Police Chief Thomas Boyd temporarily shuttered the well-liked two-mile area, which has two amusement piers, arcades, and other attractions, as part of a “proactive approach to ensure public safety,” Korman said.
How long the boardwalk remained off-limits to revelers is unknown.
Officers responded to a 911 report regarding a dispute, collaring a 21-year-old male from neighboring Beachwood, who was one of those arrested.
According to the police, he was accused of obstruction, resisting arrest, possessing a firearm, and possessing a weapon for an illegal purpose.
According to Korman, a pedestrian in Seaside Park was hit by a car amid the chaos and transported to a hospital via helicopter.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, Seaside Heights saw an estimated 100,000 tourists, according to police.
Sarah Frailey, a bartender at EJ’s Tap House on the boardwalk, said, “The past few days have been chaos in this town.”
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In an attempt to stop the pandemonium from happening again, 100 more police officers were sent out this year.
According to Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz, borough officials had devised a plan to bring in outside law enforcement if the crowds, particularly those of teenagers and young people, became too boisterous.
During last year’s celebrations in the Jersey Shore enclave, several were arrested after a 15-year-old was stabbed during a fight on the boardwalk.
Additionally, it was temporarily closed following what officials described as “civil unrest,” which prompted a terrified crowd to rush down exit ramps in response to gunfire on the promenade.
