Violent melee among tailgaters at concert in Camden

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Sunday, May 31, 2015
VIDEO: Violent melee among tailgaters at concert in Camden
Two people were sent to the hospital after a violent melee broke out among tailgaters at a concert in Camden.

CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- Two people were sent to the hospital after a violent melee broke out among tailgaters at a concert in Camden.

It all started around 7:00 p.m. Saturday in a parking lot on 2nd Street near Clinton Street.

The parking lot is not on the same property as the Susquehanna Bank Center but it's very close.

That's where the annual WXTU Radio anniversary concert was being held.

Concertgoers say they were passing by when they saw a big commotion.

"I was walking by the scene - cops everywhere, ambulances, the whole works. Some guy was bleeding out of his head and trying to breathe," said Kyle Sinnott.

A 51-year-old Mt. Ephraim woman, who did not want to speak on camera, says she and her 30-something year old son were in the parking lot when they were attacked by a group of people.

The woman says she was dragged through the parking lot while her son was badly beaten, being punched repeatedly in the face and head.

Authorities say another person was stabbed in the hand.

Three victims were taken to Cooper Medical Center for treatment. No word on their conditions.

Witnesses say there was a lot of drinking going on in the parking lot.

"Alcohol. It just it what it is - people drink a lot of alcohol and then they just want to start fights. It's annoying, it ruins all the fun," said Shannon Dickinson.

Action News reached out to Live Nation, who runs the annual concert, but we have not heard back from them.

This isn't the first time violence broke out at the event.

Back in 2012, a big fight broke out at the WXTU outdoor venue - EMTs treated 163 people for various injuries several people taken to area hospitals and police arrested 191 people.

In 2011, an officer was stabbed in the chest while trying to break up a fight.

In this most recent incident, no word on any arrests.