Hundreds of teens flock to Alameda beach despite warnings, fights leave one injured
Aerial shot of Crown Beach in Alameda
Aerial shots from SkyFox above Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda.
ALAMEDA, Calif. - Three fights broke out and a teen was hospitalized after hundreds of young people gathered at an Alameda beach for an "unauthorized" event despite warnings from city officials.
On Thursday, the Alameda Police Department cautioned against unpermitted "beach takeover" parties being advertised on social media amid sizzling temperatures in the Bay Area.
Police warned about social media-promoted takeovers
What we know:
Police said they were monitoring events promoted for Sunday and Tuesday at Crown Memorial State Beach. The events were not permitted.
The department increased staffing in an effort to prevent the gatherings, which were being promoted to young people.
One of the events advertised an "assassin-style" game using water guns and water balloons.
"While this may seem like harmless fun, similar games in the past have led to unintended and dangerous consequences," police said.
Featured
San Jose police make arrest after post-Super Bowl mass shooting
San Jose police on Monday announced the arrest of a Washington state man following a post-Super Bowl gathering where six people were shot.
Fights break out
Dig deeper:
On Saturday, officers found about 200 teens gathering at the beach and in an adjacent parking lot.
Authorities reported four incidents, including three fights. One teen was transported to a local hospital. Another incident involved hate speech.
Officials have not explicitly said whether Saturday’s incident was a beach takeover, but it comes after warnings from the city about mass, unpermitted gatherings.
"The City welcomes visitors to our shoreline, but we wanted to remind the public that organized events like this require a permit to ensure adequate safety and staffing," the city said in a statement.
The Source: This story was written based on information from the Alameda Police Department.