Storm after the calm as police arrived at Coon Rapids roller rink

Fighting had ended, but the arrival of officers with a dog set off a panic, one witness says.

By TIM HARLOW and MARIA ELENA BACA, Star Tribune staff writer s

Last update: December 30, 2008 - 6:59 AM

On-site security had quashed a brawl at a Coon Rapids skate party Sunday night when five backup officers and a dog arrived, sending 1,200 partygoers into panic mode, according to the disc jockey who surveyed the mayhem from the sound booth.

"The first reaction was, 'Oh my God, they've got a dog,'" recalled Brandon Wright, a B96 (96.3 FM) DJ who was hired to host the Mega Skate Jam at the Cheap Skate-Coon Rapids.

"Then they took off running, and once people started running, other people started running," he added.

The teenagers and young adults attending the party sponsored by Shine On Entertainment were sent home about 9:20 p.m. after several fights broke out at the rink at 3075 NW. Coon Rapids Blvd. A brawl also broke out in the parking lot, where 200 to 300 more people were waiting to get in, Coon Rapids police Sgt. Rick Boone said.

Cheap Skate manager Joe Buhn said police also were trying to help a girl who was having an asthma attack get out of the building.

The party had been promoted on Twin Cities radio station B96 (KTTB-FM), but was not sponsored by the station, program director Sam Elliott said.

It isn't clear what started the first fight and several others that broke out inside the rink, but it had reached its 1,200-person capacity and those outside were not being allowed inside, Chief Deputy Tim Snell said.

"The people outside became upset and at one time they tried to storm the door and force their way through," Snell said. "It sort of became a pushing match with doors going back and forth."

Rink staffers were able to keep out the crowd outside. As the group milled around, several fistfights started in the parking lot and later inside the rink, Snell said.

The rink usually provides its own security for events, but had hired an off-duty Coon Rapids police officer for the Mega Skate Jam. The officer called for assistance and police from Coon Rapids and several other agencies were called to break up the disturbance and disperse the crowd.

Three people were injured. One left with a parent and two were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, Boone said.

No one was cited or arrested, Boone said. Rink management reported losing several pairs of skates.

The rink was shut down for the rest of the night.

After surveying the melee from his booth, Wright said, there was plenty of blame to go around. He couldn't see a reason to bring the police dog inside, he said, especially because the fight was over and the crowd had resumed dancing and skating. And folks inside seemed to take on one another's panic.

"In my opinion, it could have been a little bit of overreaction from both parties," he said.

The Coon Rapids Fire Department has no record of citations for exceeding capacity at the rink, Fire Inspector Wayne Anderson said Monday.

And the rink did the right thing to keep the over-capacity crowd outside.

"They had to keep them out," he said. "It might not have gone over well, but it was a fire code and life-safety issue if they had let them in."

The Fire Department is still investigating.

The rink is considered a safe place, Snell said. Police have responded to 17 calls there this year, but only four were because of fights. The rest were responses to alarms and for other reasons, he said.

Staff writer Jim Adams contributed to this report. harlow@startribune.com • 612-673-7768mbaca@startribune.com • 612-673-4408

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