St. Clair Shores police break up "unruly" gathering at Harper Cruise, one person arrested
One person was arrested, and another was reportedly a victim of felonious assault during a large gathering on Monday at the Shorewood Kiwanis Harper Charity Cruise in St. Clair Shores, according to police.
Police say that tens of thousands of people attended the event, and at about 9 p.m., officers responded to an "unruly, unpermitted" gathering of about approximately 500 people near a store. Police say the crowd was instructed to leave, but refused.
At some point, officers from six other agencies responded to the area to assist as "the situation began to escalate," according to St. Clair Shores police. Authorities say officers were on scene for about an hour until the crowd left.
Mike Henry, who attended a Cars and Cannolis event at Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace after the Harper Cruise, said he did not see violence before police arrived.
"If you ask me, the only violence that happened that night is when the police showed up," Henry said.
Henry said he was among the hundreds who stayed for the car meet. His friend, Tyler Martin, was also at the event and recorded a video that has since gained traction online. The footage shows an officer and a young man going back and forth before police appear to push people back as officers work to clear the area.
"I'm not sure why they were so amped up. I can't even answer that question. I'd like to ask someone," Martin said.
Police say there is an internal review of social media videos and body camera footage.
Martin and Henry said the young man seen being pushed in the video is a friend of theirs. They told CBS News Detroit that he is planning to take legal action. The two men said they respect the job the police do, but feel that respect was not shown during the confrontation.
"The police are here to protect and serve us, and that's not what they were doing," Martin said.
"I don't got no issues with the police. I have family that are police officers. But I don't think they should come out here, hit people, shove 'em to the ground," Henry said.
Nino Salvaggio issued a statement, saying, "The safety of our customers, employees and community is always our top priority. We are aware of the unfortunate situation that occurred last night during the Harper Cruise. We are reviewing what occurred and will work closely with the city and law enforcement."
