What to Know
A North Carolina Fourth of July Block party turned into a violent scene ending with six arrests, including four juveniles. North Charleston Police received multiple calls about the celebration getting a bit too rowdy and spilling into the street in the Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood. When officers arrived around 8:30 p.m., the situation quickly turned violent.
Viral video shows multiple attendees attacking police, knocking one female officer to the ground. With the help of other officers, she fought them off, and together police got the situation under control.
The city permitted the block party.
Per the North Charleston Police Department, the block party was approved prior to the Fourth of July. Party organizers met with police ahead of time to discuss the event “including traffic and parking plans to ensure emergency vehicles could safely access the area if needed.” Around 8:30 p.m. the night of the event, dispatchers began to receive calls about shots fired in the area and people allegedly shooting fireworks at cars driving past.
Officers arrived at the scene and attempted to get the situation under control. Police claimed they made several announcements to end the evening’s festivities. At this point, multiple fights broke out.
Officers tried to break up the fights.
Police explained that multiple officers got out of their patrol cars to help get the scene under control.
“During the response, multiple firearms and a makeshift spear were recovered. Multiple officers were physically assaulted, with two female officers sustaining minor injuries. Several attendees were arrested as a result of their own actions,” per police.
In a video posted online, we see a female officer taken to the ground and beaten. North Charleston Police Chief Ron Camacho addressed the situation in a news conference. He said that attacks on law enforcement are unacceptable. He added that the officers had minor injuries and had gone back to work.
“The two female officers that were injured are fine. They’re working,” Camacho said. “The young officer that’s in the video, she’s back working today.”
The situation saddened some community members.
Community advocate Elvin Speights told WCSC that seeing the viral video bothered him. “A lot of emotions. Ashamed. Disgraced,” Speights said. “I’m very pleased that no one was seriously hurt. That could have gone really bad.”
He praised the police for their quick response and ability to de-escalate the situation before it took a deadly turn.
“I just wanted to give a huge shout-out to that officer who showed humongous restraint on not going out here and pulling her gun and start shooting,” Speights said.
“The North Charleston Police Department as a whole — no one was seriously hurt. They showed a lot of restraint.”
Police arrested six people.
WCSC reported police arrested two adults and four juveniles following the attack. The juveniles face charges of assault by mob, 3rd degree; assault on police while resisting arrest; resisting arrest; possession of a machine gun; and breach of peace.
Police also arrested 19-year-old Giovanni Mekhi Sincere Campbell and 18-year-old Sa’Mya Adriana Collette Weaver on charges of breach of peaceand assault on police while resisting arrest.
Camacho added that police will likely arrest more attendees after combing evidence.
“More arrests will be made as we go through our body camera footage,” he said. “What you got on that social media, you’re looking at one little snippet, at one little video. We were out there for an extended period of time,” he said.
READ NEXT: Doorbell Camera Caught a Police Officer Beating a Woman in Crisis — Now He’s Facing Charges
