Kenny Chesney Concert Ends With Fights, Arrests, Huge Mess
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The excitement over Kenny Chesney Saturday proved to be a little too much for some people with the night ending with several fights and numerous arrests.
He's the most lucrative act on tour and his appearances on the North Shore are daylong events. And as they've grown, so have the problems.
Police say 49 people were arrested inside Heinz field during the concert, with another 24 arrests taking place near the venue on the North Shore. Police say most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct, public intoxication and aggravated assault.
Additionally, police say at least 10 large fights broke out and 150 people were treated for various medical needs. Another 45 people were taken to medical facilities as well.
Kenny Chesney fans also left a wake of trash following the concert. Large groups of tailgaters left behind a sea of debris in the Heinz Field parking lot.
"The Kenny Chesney crowd is the most difficult crowd for our staff to work with of any of the events of the year," says Merril Stabile, president of ALCO Parking.
In fact, the Chesney crowd has earned such a reputation that even police were hesitant to face the mess.
"We had a hard time getting police -- a lot of police didn't want to work this event," Stabile said.
And problems started long before the concert, with the "No Shoes Nation" arriving before the lots were supposed to open, leading to lots of traffic on the highways.
"You probably could say 80 to 90 percent of the people there are acting responsibly, but even 20 percent of 50,000 people getting out of control is pretty bad," Stabile said.
The mess on the North Shore almost defies description and even Monday, you could still smell the remnants of Saturday.
"It smells horrible, you can smell the beer and the urine," said Harletta Walker of Ross Township. "They cleaned up the trash, but they should have run the street sweeper through here, it's horrible."
WATCH: Fight Breaks Out
RELATED LINKS
More Local News
More Police News
