Chaos Ensued When Multiple Brawls on a New York Beach Were Intervened By a Low-Flying Police Helicopter
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- A large crowd of high school students gathered at Jones Beach on Tuesday, June 3, escalating into a brawl that prompted a multi-agency police response
- Law enforcement, including a low-hovering police helicopter, cleared the beach by 8:30 p.m., local time, after fights broke out
- N.Y. State Parks announced increased patrols and social media monitoring to prevent future unsanctioned events throughout the summer
A high school senior skip day turned into a massive brawl at Jones Beach State Park in New York on Tuesday, June 3, prompting a swift response from multiple law enforcement agencies.
According to a statement obtained by PEOPLE from New York State Parks, the incident took place around the Central Mall area of the popular Long Island beach destination. The large group, made up of students from multiple high schools, began arriving at around 3 p.m. local time, and within hours, police were called due to the growing size of the gathering and early reports of physical altercations.
The first report came in around 6:22 p.m. New York State Park Police first responded to the scene, followed by Nassau County Police, with support from a Nassau County Aviation Unit as the fighting masses grew in size.
“It was absolutely insane,” one onlooker exclusively shared with PEOPLE who saw the scene unfold with his wife. “We were walking along the boardwalk, and you could see the fights on the beach. It was a s— show.”
The onlooker noted seeing “Nassau County police helicopters, ambulances, several Nassau County police cars and several park police cars,” along with a News 5 helicopter.
A dramatic video circulating on social media showed a police helicopter hovering low over the beach, kicking up sand as people scattered toward the boardwalk. According to the New York State Parks representative, law enforcement agencies dispersed the crowd by 8:30 p.m.
In the wake of the incident, New York State Parks says there will be additional staffing around the area to keep similar situations from happening into the weekend and potentially for the duration of the summer.
“Police will have additional patrols at both Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Parks today. There will be an increase of New York State Park Rangers as well,” read the statement. “These agencies are also monitoring all social media to ensure that if an unsanctioned event is found, an appropriate law enforcement response will occur.”
Officials reminded the public in the statement, “All large gatherings require a permit to take place at the beach.”
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