Sep 24, 2024
HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Hanover Sheriff's Office is investigating after multiple fights broke out at the Kings Dominion amusement park on the night of Saturday, Sept. 21.  “You dump a massive amount of juveniles into one area. There's going to be mischievous behavior that happens. Just get involved and, you know, think before you decide to drive a car, pull the kids up to Kings Dominion and drop them off,” said Sergeant Steve Wills with the Hanover Sheriff's Office.  Officials said that the initial fight kicked off the violent ordeal that evening involving juveniles, and it started around 9 p.m. Saturday near the arcade area inside of the park.  More than 300 people were involved in the multiple fights that broke out inside the park's gates. Wills says that this type of behavior occurring at places like Kings Dominion could potentially be changed with the help and attention of parents.   While the Hanover Sheriff's office is investigating Saturday’s fights, it is warning against other acts like those from breaking out in the future at any place.   “So, we need to make sure that these young people that come into the park are there with an adult presence that will monitor their behavior," Wills said. “So, it does not become an issue for us. That's part of it.”  Wills says the large crowds surrounding the fights that broke out around the arcade area blocked officers from getting to the scene. “The majority of which were just disorderly and not engaged in any assaults, but it made our response very complicated,” Wills said.  As deputies tried to stop the first fight that had broken out inside of the arcade, more fights broke out nearby. Wills said that at one point, things got close to getting out of hand. “At some point somebody yelled gun, and a crowd started rushing into the building. Our officers couldn't get out. They were being pushed back in as they're trying to get out to see if there's somebody in the crowd with a gun," Wills said.  A statement 8News received from King's Dominion reads, in part, "At no point were any weapons used or found to be inside the park." The Hanover County Sheriff’s office also said that it is not aware of any stabbings or shootings that took place during the fights, nor was anyone seriously injured. “Inappropriate, immature," Wills said about the violence. "That's what I would say. I don't know how we curb that other than us getting in there and start charging people and try to hold those accountable,” he said. 8News received hundreds of social media comments on a recent post about the incident, a number of people commented saying that they didn't feel safe. One post read, "This is so sad, this should be a happy place for everyone." Another post said, "Haunt should have a restriction for guests 21 years or older to attend. No one under 21 should be allowed without parental control."  No arrests were made on Saturday, and Wills says that it's unclear at this time if they will be increasing the police presence inside of the park as a result of the fights. 
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