POLICE Stop Dozens of BLACK TEENS in Downtown Detroit Clash!

POLICE Stop Dozens of BLACK TEENS in Downtown Detroit Clash!
February 11, 2013 at 1:00 am
  By Francis X. Donnelly and Candice Williams
The Detroit News
Detroit — City boosters hoped a downtown rampage by a horde of teenagers Saturday night wouldn't dissuade visitors from returning to the city.
Nearly 100 teens descended on downtown, picking fights, running into businesses and being chased by police by car and on foot.
In all, Detroit police stopped 76 teens ages 14 to 17 and five adults in their 20s, said spokeswoman Sgt. Eren Stephens. Eight teens with outstanding warrants were detained by police.
No one was hurt in the incident, which left workers and customers jittery.
Stephens said the clash apparently involved some type of dispute or rivalry among neighborhood youths.
But residents and community leaders took the brouhaha in stride. "I think those incidents are isolated," said Ida Jackson, of Detroit. "It's not representative of Detroit."
The chaos occurred near the Motown Winter Blast, the popular seasonal event at Campus Martius. It wasn't known whether the event had drawn the combatants to the area.
But police said none of the disturbance occurred at Winter Blast and didn't affect it.
Police didn't boost security for the Blast on Sunday.
Representatives for Detroit Mayor Dave Bing would not comment about the commotion or arrests Sunday.
Winter Blast producer Jon Witz said the incident didn't seem to affect attendance on Sunday. The three-day event attracted 85,000 people, including 30,000 on Sunday, he said.
Malik Shabazz, a community activist who belonged to a gang as a youth, criticized the teens' behavior but said it's a consequence of the plight of city neighborhoods.
The neighborhoods have been neglected by city and state leaders, leaving youths with little structure in their lives other than what is provided by troublesome gangs, he said.
"Children want attention, want structure, want rules," he said. "If they're not getting those things from society, they will act out. The streets will give what their broken families fail to give."
The Saturday night disturbance was centered at Michigan and Cass downtown.
At one point, teens wearing ski masks entered American Coney Island on Lafayette and began smacking customers and tossing chairs, according to broadcast reports by WDIV (Channel 4) on Saturday night.
A restaurant worker called police, who responded in large numbers.
"Things happen. It's one of those things," restaurant owner Grace Keros told The Detroit News. "We're fortunate no one got hurt."
The police chased the youths along several city blocks. Except for the eight teens with outstanding warrants, the others were released to their parents, said Stephens.
Among those attending Winter Blast on Sunday were Andrew and Amy Frazier of Riverview.
The couple, who ate at American Coney Island on Sunday, said they visit the city once a month and never feel unsafe.
As far as the hooligans, Andrew Frazier was philosophical. "You get crazy people anywhere," he said.
fdonnelly@detroitnews.com
(313) 223-4186

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130211/METRO01/302110358
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