Hundreds of people fighting at an Astro Skate in Brandon on Saturday night led to multiple arrests. At 9:20 p.m., off-duty deputies called the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to the scene regarding a fight in the parking lot.
A large crowd of 400 to 500 people gathered at the skating rink and nearby businesses. Despite warnings about trespassing, the crowd engaged in fighting, damaging businesses, stealing, and disrupting operations.
As a result, six adults and 23 minors were arrested. The teens caused nearly $2,000 worth of damage to various businesses in the area.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says they responded to Astro Skate of Brandon on Saturday night after a fight broke out in the parking lot. https://t.co/cQR7xclfFy
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The chaos began with a private event for an 18th birthday party, which had been advertised on social media despite being canceled by the skating rink due to safety concerns. As kids started arriving, they were turned away to avoid exceeding capacity limits.
Deputies were on hand, and more reinforcements were called to control the crowd. The arrests included complaints ranging from trespassing and disorderly conduct to resisting officers without violence. The skating rink’s capacity limit is 670 people, but the exact charges faced by the minors have not been disclosed.