Crime & Safety

Four Arrested In Brawl After Brick Memorial Playoff Basketball Game

Fight erupted in parking lot following playoff game between Brick Memorial and Jackson Memorial high schools

Jackson police officers arrested four Brick residents – an adult and three juveniles – following a brawl after Wednesday night's between Brick Memorial and Jackson Memorial high schools.

The fracas began inside the high school gym where, according to police, bottles were being thrown. One of the bottles struck a cheerleader and another struck a parent, leading to a Brick resident being ejected from the game.

According to Jackson Police Sgt. Steven Laskiewicz, police responded to Jackson Memorial High School at about 7:15 p.m. after receiving multiple 9-1-1 calls from spectators reporting a fight had broken out in the parking lot outside the gym. When police arrived, school administrators and security personnel were already trying to disperse a crowd of between 75 and 100 students, most of whom did not heed officers' orders to leave, Laskiewicz said.

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Brick Patch sports reporter Brian Deakyne, who was covering the game, said he saw at least six police vehicles respond to the scene and one ambulance.

“As one bus full of Brick students was leaving, students on the bus began screaming obscenities at Jackson students in the parking lot,” said Laskiewicz.

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Officers on the scene got the Jackson students to disperse, according to police, but the Brick students on a bus waiting to leave the high school parking lot continued to yell obscenities and incite the crowd that was still at the scene,  Laskiewicz said. The situation got more heated as police attempted to arrest one Brick student. During the arrest, other students began to exit the bus and interfere with the arrest, leading to an additional arrest of a juvenile.

An adult, whose name was not released by Jackson police, was placed under arrest when he began yelling and physically interfering with the arrest of one of the juveniles, Laskiewicz said. During that arrest, a juvenile identified as the man's son began shouting obscenities and running toward the officer who was arresting his father.

In all, three juveniles and the adult, identified as a 50-year-old male from Brick, were arrested. The juveniles, two 17-year-old males and one 15-year-old male, all of Brick, were issued summonses for disorderly conduct, riot and resisting arrest, and were released to the custody of their parents. The adult was charged with disorderly conduct, riot and resisting arrest and released on a summons.

During the incident, one juvenile suffered an injury due to an assault, police said. Jackson Police are still investigating that claim.

Howell and Lakewood police were called to assist Jackson police at the scene, but were sent back after Jackson officers dispersed the crowd. Laskiewicz said that at one point, every Jackson officer on duty was present at the scene.

Jackson Memorial beat the Brick Memorial Mustangs 41-36, knocking Brick Memorial out of the playoffs.


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