Teens Arrested After Weekend Fights In St. Paul

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- A birthday party at a St. Paul recreation center turned to bedlam over the weekend after numerous fights broke out within a one-mile radius across the city.

The chaos resulted in the arrests of six people between the ages of 13 to 18.

St. Paul Police tell WCCO-TV this all started at the Dunning Recreation Center at around 10 p.m. Saturday.

An employee of Arts-Us, a nonprofit group that works out of the rec center, had called authorities, saying he feared for his own life after a birthday party had gotten out of control.

When officers arrived, they found between 100 and 200 people there, some as young as 13. They also heard three gun shots.

Authorities tried to break up the crowd, but to no avail. People in the mob began shoving officers, throwing rocks at them and verbally threatening police. Authorities began deploying a chemical irritant, similar to pepper spray, to get the situation under control, but the bedlam wasn't over yet.

From there, two hours of chaos ensued across the city as the crowd began moving.

Officers responded to four different brawls within a mile of the rec center, including fights at a Popeye's restaurant on Lexington and another fight near the Metro Transit Green Line LRT in downtown St. Paul.

At that scene, officers arrested a 17-year-old man with a .22 caliber handgun. One teenager was also found brutally beaten there. He was taken to Regions Hospital in critical condition, but has since improved.

Police do believe alcohol was involved at the initial birthday party that appears to have prompted the chaotic scene.

According to St. Paul Police Department spokesman Steve Linders, officers wrote more than 20 police reports were written as a result of the various incidents.

At the end of the night, six people -- ages 13 to 18 -- were arrested on charges ranging from third-degree assault, second-degree riot, aggravated assaulted and possession of a firearm.

A City of St. Paul representative released this statement: "Arts-Us has been a longstanding valued partner of ours at Dunning Recreation Center and we will be working with their team and board to follow-up on this incident, and review the situation and work to ensure it doesn't happen again."