Darien Lake Fight Involves 150-200 on Saturday Night

 

 

A planned concert for Pitbull was the draw for large crowds at Darien Lake on Saturday, July 30, resulting in a huge brawl that broke out in the parking lot, just as the concert was starting to get underway.

Multiple police agencies were called to bring the crowd under control and a Mercy Flight helicopter was called in in case of serious injury. The size of the fight, which police scanners said involved 150-200 people, has many questioning the safety and security of the popular western New York concert venue,

Darien Lake Facebook alerted concert-goers to the expectation that there were large crowds and heavy traffic expected at the Pitbull concert and advised concert-goers to come early, opening their parking lots at 3:30 p.m. and gates open at 6 p.m. for the 8 p.m. concert. Concert goers arrived early, had tailgate parties, and loud music, and seemed to be under control and having fun until the concert was about to start at 8 p.m.  It was then that multiple county police agencies were called with a report that a large group of concert-goers was fighting in the parking lot.  The cause of the fight was unknown.  The state police were called at 8:43 p.m.

The police agencies regained control of the crowd, and there were a few arrests, mostly for drunk and disorderly conduct, and a few injuries, although the specifics were unavailable from Darien Lake, even on Monday night. Mercy Flight was on standby, but not reportedly used. Police agencies and Darien Lake had not released further information as of Monday night. Aug. 1.