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Police warn of pop-up “takeover events” turning violent
The social media-fueled events have led to hundreds of teens showing up at Becker Park all at once. Police plan to close down park next time.
CRYSTAL, Minnesota — Crystal Police say they will close down Becker Park if needed and turn away teens who arrive by rideshare if they follow through with a planned “take-over” event over the 4th of July weekend. A similar event last weekend led to several arrests.
Crystal Police Chief Brian Hubbard explains more about the nationwide trend in this Q & A with KARE 11 News.
KARE 11: What is a “takeover event?”
Crystal Deputy Chief Brian Hubbard: It’s some type of a social media blast that’s put together for, “Hey, gather up at this spot,” and it’s bringing hundreds of people together into typically a park area.
KARE 11: So what happened here then last Sunday?
Hubbard: Last Sunday mid-afternoon within an hour’s time we had about 300 juveniles show up, almost all by rideshare apps and they just ended up here in the park.
KARE 11: And did it turn into something dangerous?
Hubbard: The conduct was escalating. The conduct was getting more brazen, and then we started having fights break out amongst the different people in the park. At that point we determined this assembly has turned into we don’t know what’s going to happen next and we need to dissipate this group. Last Sunday we arrested 6 individuals for disorderly conduct.
Hubbard says the department is preparing for a social media-fueled “takeover event” being planned again at Becker Park sometime over the 4th of July weekend.
The most infamous example of the nationwide trend happened last year in Manhattan’s Union Square — when a PlayStation 5 giveaway planned by influencer Kai Cenat turned into a riot when thousands of people showed up.
KARE 11: You mentioned this is kind of a national trend. Is it happening at other cities locally as well in the metro?
Hubbard: We know of at least six other communities around the metro, probably more, but we know of six where they’ve had similar events in the last couple months.
KARE 11: Does it seem like these things just have the potential for a lot of things to go wrong?
Hubbard: Yes, I mean last weekend there was a lot of energy. Our concern is, again to the patrons who are here, that is a scary situation for families that enjoy this park… families are not going to want to be around for all the craziness that comes from those who are not here to enjoy the park. And as those groups tend to escalate, our concern is then what does that turn into something more severe? Do we have assaults, is there potential for guns?
KARE 11: So what are police planning to do this weekend?
Hubbard: Our plan for this park is we’re going to stop that mass gathering before it starts. So if we start to see large groups of people arriving by rideshare, we will take the action of closing the park at that point and moving everybody out of this space before they get to that large mass.
KARE 11: What do you want parents to know or to do about this sort of thing?
Hubbard: As a parent myself, it’s concerning that there would be that many unsupervised juveniles in a space like this where there isn’t going to be a lot of good that comes from it.
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“It’s amazing how well and good the people are helping out,” volunteer Connie Guinn said.
ELK PARK, N.C. — It’s still difficult for Mike Ellenburg to see the damage Helene left in Elk Park, North Carolina.
“Never in my lifetime, no I have not,” Ellenburg, Fire Chief at the Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department, said. “We had to bring in heavy equipment and open the road up.”
The storm left homes destroyed, trees toppled and cars flipped. It’s left roads near rivers and creeks nearby unrecognizable.
“Used to be a paved road, houses on both sides,” he said. “They’re gone.”
“You’ll see some vehicles down here that are sideways, and they’ll have spray paint on ’em,” Ellenburg continued. “Marking that that vehicle has been checked and that nobody was inside of it or around it.”
Ellenburg says he believes there are four areas around Elk Park in a similar state, damaged and difficult to get into. Despite that, help is still coming, both from the town and the rest of the state.
“We’re just trying to get it organized,” Connie Guinn, a volunteer said, standing in front of pallets of food and water. “Because we can’t find nothing, and neither can anybody else.”
Donations have continued to arrive at the Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department. Ellenburg says some have even come from around the country.
Other agencies, like the Dallas, North Carolina volunteer fire department, have also arrived to help where they can.
“It’s amazing how well and good the people are helping out,” Guinn said.
Ellenburg says it will take time to rebuild their community, but it’s made easier to get through with neighbors like theirs.
“I would only say that I don’t want to live anywhere else but here in Avery County, North Carolina,” he said.
The marathon was canceled because of the heat last year.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Thousands gathered at the Capitol to join in on the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend festivities.
Among them were Noah and Madeline Bleeker, running with their parents at the KARE 11 Family Mile. Noah in particular was rather excited.
“I’m super fast,” he said.
His sister, not so much.
“I just don’t like the part when you get really sweaty,” said Madeline. “I just don’t like that part.”
Either way, they are certainly happy for the weather this year.
Craig Fiedler signed up for his first marathon last year. He flipped through photos on his phone capturing the chaotic day.
“Here I am in the morning with a cup of coffee ready to go,” he smiled. “Then at 5:30 in the morning, I got the email it had been canceled.”
He decided to run it anyway, but he’s excited to cross the finish line this year officially.
“It will be a victory lap,” he said.
Dean Orton is the president of Twin Cities in Motion, the organization behind the marathon. He’s predicting great running conditions.
“It’s great to see it all come together,” he said.
The marathon begins at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Staff at Temple Israel in Minneapolis told police they received several phone calls from the individual on Sept. 11.
MINNEAPOLIS — On Friday a man was arrested for terroristic threats nearly a month after Minneapolis police received several phone calls threatening a local synagogue.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, Minneapolis police announced in a press release that a 21-year-old man was arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Jail for terroristic threats.
Police said this arrest was related to several phone calls on Sept. 11. Staff members told officers they got the calls from a person who threatened to “shoot up” Temple Israel. An investigation began immediately, officials said.
An officer providing a special security detail around the Temple was notified on Oct. 3 that a man was seen outside with a firearm. Officers said the man fled the area before police could arrest him.
Officials said the man spotted at the temple was the same man who made the threatening phone calls.
Members of the Southside REACT team found the man and arrested him for terroristic threats, police said.
“Everyone in Minneapolis has the right to feel safe in their communities, and we will ensure our Jewish neighbors are protected as they celebrate the holy days,” Chief O’Hara said in a statement. “We take all threats made against our religious institutions seriously, and will continue to hold the individuals accountable who threaten any of our city’s houses of worship. I am incredibly grateful for the work of investigators in this case for quickly responding to the threats and likely preventing a tragedy from occurring.”
At the beginning of September Chief O’Hara announced Minneapolis police would provide more security near Jewish synagogues for both the Jewish holy days and the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
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The Jewish High Holidays include Rosh Hashanah, beginning before sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 2, and ending after nightfall on Friday, Oct. 4 and Yom Kippur, beginning before sundown on Friday, Oct. 11 and ending after nightfall on Shabbat, Oct. 12.
