Police: Long Island Beach Brawl Ends With One Arrest
BABYLON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A fun day at the beach turned violent Monday on Long Island.
Tens of thousands of beachgoers were celebrating Memorial Day at Robert Moses State Park when police said a booze-induced brawl broke out in Field 2, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported.
Nearly two dozen people were involved in the fight, Xirinachs reported.
A 19-year-old man suffered a serious head laceration after being struck by a beer bottle.
A 15-year-old was arrested in connection with the incident.
Police said most of the people involved in the brawl appeared intoxicated, and regulars said alcohol consumption can sometimes be a problem at the beach.
"I'm shocked, there's never anything like that," one man said. "The only way you are gonna stop people from bringing alcohol in here is if you have somebody standing at the gate, checking coolers. They're not going to do that."
New York State Park Police Sergeant Manny Vilar says the brawl is an issue of park public safety that worries him.
"We have a great concern for the public's safety," Vilar said.
Vilar says under staffing has made park policing difficult and is putting the public at risk.
"We are concerned about safety in the state parks," Vilar said. "There's not enough police officers to address the small things, more or less the big things."
The investigation is continuing.