Berkley Days Event Closed Saturday Night Due to Fighting, Toy Guns Recovered
(Crystal Proxmire, May 13, 2023)
Berkley, MI – The Berkley Days celebration was cut short Saturday night as large crowds, fighting, and toy guys caused safety concerns for those present.
Berkley Public Safety released this statement:
“During the Berkley Days event on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at approximately 7 PM, Berkley Public Safety Officers assigned to the detail responded to several fights involving subjects at the event. Additional BDPS Officers responded to the event to assist.
A short time later, there were a number of reports of individuals with firearms, causing the crowds to flee in different directions. Additional assistance was requested and several officers from surrounding police and public safety departments responded to assist.
The decision was quickly made to close the event for the evening and officers immediately began to disperse the crowd.
After a short period of time, the entire property was cleared, and officers continue to monitor the neighborhood surrounding the event to assure there are no further issues.
It is important to note that there were no serious injuries and no actual firearms observed or recovered. There were several toy firearms recovered from individuals at the event.
No additional information will be released at this time.”
Berkley Days organizers as of 10:45pm had posted two updates. “Due to unforeseen circumstances Berkley days is closed for the night!”, followed by “We need anyone who has a child at the fair to please pick them.”
UPDATE: The festival has been closed for the remainder of the weekend, with Berkley Days announcing “Out of an abundance of caution, the decision was made to close Berkley Days for the rest of the weekend. The safety of our citizens and community is our top priority.
For those of you who purchased armband in advance, online there will be an official announcement from Skerbeck Family Carnival in the coming days. Please be patient and understanding as we work through the details of this event.”
This story is being updated as more information becomes available.