Posted on 09/03/2003 7:36:25 AM PDT by bedolido
A rodeo at the Kane County fairgrounds exploded into a brutal battle royal Saturday night, sending several people to the hospital.
About 30 people bashed each other with fists, feet, belts and metal pipes, evoking screams from the nearly 2,000 people in attendance, St. Charles police said.
The preliminary investigation points to a rodeo participant sparking the violence. Witnesses said the unnamed participant decided to ride his horse through an area where people were dancing.
In the congestion, the horse stepped on a woman's leg, breaking her ankle. People near her responded by striking the man and pulling him off the horse, police said.
It just kept getting worse from there, said Police Chief Donald Shaw. "It just turned into a melee," he said.
Police ordered a second-alarm response, calling in backup from Batavia, Geneva and Kane County sheriff's officers to stop the fight.
In the end, a convoy of ambulances took seven people to Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva for treatment of cuts, bruises and head injuries. An update on the condition of the victims was unavailable Saturday night.
The rodeo participant suffered several apparent blows to the head, police said. His horse was not injured in the ruckus.
Police took five men into custody for participating in the brawl. Their names were not released Saturday night because charges were still pending.
All five face possible charges of battery, aggravated battery and mob action.
A private security team staffed the event but was overwhelmed by the sheer number of combatants, police said.
"It takes a lot of work and a lot of perseverance to gain compliance from people in a situation like this," Shaw said. "Police did an excellent job without losing control. Heavy overuse of alcohol definitely contributed to this situation."
Larry Breon, president of the Kane County Fair board of directors, could not be reached for comment Saturday night.
Ya think?
So9
Fair trial and fast hanging
It was the horse who broke the woman's ankle.
Indict, prosecute, convict, and sentence ...
I hate it when people half-ass things.
Thompson: "To freedom, and Australia!"
Morant: "To freedom, Australia . . . and horses!"
Hancock: "To freedom, Australia, horses . . . and women!"
--- Breaker Morant
What state is this? There is no mention of location, just a few small towns and counties listed.If you follow the link to the article, the web page says, "Suburban Chicago's Information Source."
I agree this info should have (somehow) been part of the post.
They will have a hard time topping this!
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