A police officer was injured and one person was apparently arrested, following a huge, chaotic fight at downtown's Westfield San Francisco Centre Sunday evening, as Pride festivities were winding down.
NBC Bay Area reports that police received multiple calls reporting fights at the mall, which is located at the corner of Fifth and Market Streets, at 6:45 p.m. Sunday.
Well this was interesting to watch #SanFrancisco #Westfield pic.twitter.com/kn2gnc8YD4
— Connor Brookes (@ConnorBrookes96) June 26, 2017
According to KRON 4, the brawl was actually "a number of fights" all at once. The first officers to arrive called for backup, San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Officer Robert Rueca tells KRON 4. "Officers tried to detain several people and some resisted," KRON reports, and "police had objects thrown at them and were attacked by the crowd."
#riot and #police action at #Westfield #sanfrancisco pic.twitter.com/QsfsshYQ1V
— GeorgeTheCat (@AntonPolishko) June 26, 2017
The resistance of the crowd "did complicate matters, " Rueca told NBC, "and that's why we did have to stop the situation as soon as possible and that's why you see us moving to multiple levels in order to stop and detain these individuals that were involved in this incident,"
A police officer was pepper-sprayed during the confrontation, NBC Bay Area reports, and suffered minor injuries as a result of the attack.
#westfield #riot pic.twitter.com/hYjL9rSWGm
— Olga Tanaseichuk (@tanaseichuk) June 26, 2017
In an effort to control the melee, the mall was closed, ABC 7 reports.
Cops everywhere. Fight broke out in Westfield Mall. We had to go out the back. pic.twitter.com/mAA4VyoQA0
— Nicole (@NicoleAWest_) June 26, 2017
The Chron reports that a single, juvenile suspect was detained by police following the clash, which "started between about two dozen people in the food court and grew from there," a police official tells NBC. KRON 4 reports that police are still investigating what might have started the brawl.
Previously: Security Guards Thwart Armed Creepy Clown Shenanigans At Market Street's Westfield Centre