Posted on 05/24/2002 10:43:02 AM PDT by MissAmericanPie
Two Arrested In Teen Mall Brawl
No Injuries Reported Despite Widespread Violence
POSTED: 4:29 p.m. CDT May 23, 2002
UPDATED: 9:37 p.m. CDT May 23, 2002
ARLINGTON, Texas -- A fight broke out at a North Texas shopping mall Thursday afternoon, creating a frenzied scene. Hundreds of brawling teens flooded from the Parks Mall in a sea of flying fists and kicking legs.
Several separate battles would follow as the teens waged their wars and police and mall security tried to calm the crowd.
An unusually large number of high school students were hanging around the mall Thursday. According to the Dallas Independent School District, the teens had been let out of school early because it was their last day of class for the year.
One group of teens had been wandering the mall, harassing and even getting physical with other customers, according to Christy Gilfour, of the Arlington Police Department.
"They were creating a disturbance, pushing some customers, causing some minor property damage. And they were asked ... to leave and began being escorted out by officers," Gilfour said.
The ousting, however, quickly led to pushing and shoving and then exploded into an all-out brawl inside the mall, Gilfour said.
Once outside, things only got worse. As the students ran from the building, Chopper 5 captured even more fighting.
Pockets of battles peppered the sea of bodies flowing into the parking lot.
Our helicopter camera recorded several students being punched and kicked in their faces and pummeled about their bodies. Several crazed groups ganged up on individuals, repeatedly attacking them from all angles.
Arlington police rushed to the scene and began trying to break up the crowd. They arrested two adults for assault, according to Gilfour, but it's not yet known if they were high school students.
Despite the violence, there were no injuries reported.
For those that don't live here, the Parks Mall is Arlington's "swank" mall, on 1-20 near all the expensive houses. I live in the student ghetto near UTA (by choice -- I'm not a student) and never go near Parks Mall if I can help it -- it's crowded and the traffic on S Cooper sucks. Low-lives like me shop at Sam's in Fort Worth; the only mall I ever visit voluntarily is NorthPark in Dallas.
Again: They'd better not riot on my street.
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