Juvenile identified after trying to hit officer at Gloucester Township Day; 3 suspects wanted, police say
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) — Gloucester Township police have identified a person they say attempted to hit an officer as they tried to disperse a chaotic crowd over the weekend.
Earlier this week, the department shared photos of a person they said was accused of trying to hit an officer with a closed fist and ignoring commands from police to leave the scene.
On Thursday, police identified that juvenile, but did not release their identity because of their age. Police released photos of three suspects wanted in connection with the incident later in the afternoon on Thursday.
Sunday, police said hundreds of mostly young people had gathered near the Gloucester Township Day event at Veterans Park on June 1, and a series of fights broke out once the group moved to a nearby shopping center parking lot.
Police said the juvenile was sprayed with pepper spray but was able to run from officers into the crowd.
"This suspect is one of MANY we'll be featuring in the upcoming weeks," the department said in a press release.
On Thursday, the department said: "This incident is still a very active investigation, and we're anticipating on releasing more suspects' photos for identification in the near future."
Ten teenagers and two adults were arrested on the night of the unrest, which took several hours to bring under control, police said over the weekend.
One 13-year-old, four 15-year-olds, three 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct before being released to their guardians, according to police. Along with the teens, two adults were arrested during the chaos, including an 18-year-old and a 33-year-old man from Camden, who police said rode his bike into a crowd of officers and knocked one GTPD officer to the ground.
Police said they believed most of the teenagers and young people involved in the fights were not from Gloucester Township and had been dropped off at the event.