Worcester Police Pepper Spray Crowd, Arrest 5 Outside Nightclub
WORCESTER (CBS) – Five people were arrested and officers were forced to use pepper spray to disperse a large crowd outside a Worcester club.
Officers working a private detail at a Friday event called "I Love College" inside the Palladium called for backup. A large crowd of about 500 to 700 people outside the venue began acting "aggressive, unruly, violent and potentially riotous."
Palladium staff members told police many of the people in the crowd were trying to get in to the concert using fake tickets, causing crowd issues.
Barriers being used to direct lines had been moved by people in the crowd and pushed against the front glass of the building.
According to Worcester Police, officers feared they would be pushed through the glass plates by the pressure of the crowd.
Multiple fights broke out in the middle of the crowd, and all available Worcester officers were called to respond along with Massachusetts State Police troopers.
The event's promoters decided to cancel the show.
In order to disperse the large group in from of the Palladium, officers deployed pepper spray above the crowd. Police say no individual was targeted by the spay.
Several people received minor treatment from EMTs because of the pepper spray.
Jesus Tolentino and Brian Zingwe of Providence, R.I., were arrested along with Francois Ballou and Carlin Haymen of Boston, and Quesi James of Dorchester.
Charges ranged from trespassing to disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.
All five will be arraigned in Worcester County District Court on Monday.
In a statement, Palladium management said the "I Love College" event was not organized by the venue, and was instead run by NU Word LLC.
"We did not have any issues inside our venue. A decision was made by Palladium management to cancel the show to avoid any additional safety concerns. The Worcester Police Department did an excellent job safely controlling and dispersing the crowd outside the venue," the statement said.
