5 Arrested After Hundreds Of Kids Cause Chaos In DC's Navy Yard Neighborhood

WASHINGTON, DC — Police arrested five people on Friday night when fights broke out between a large crowd of juveniles gathered in D.C.'s Navy Yard neighborhood, according to authorities.

Beginning around 7:30 p.m., Metropolitan police observed several groups of juveniles in the park between First Street and New Jersey Avenue Southeast, adjacent to an entrance to the Navy Yard Metro Station.

Shortly after 8 p.m., the group grew to several hundred juveniles, police said.

"Initially the group was peaceful and did not disrupt the area," Metropolitan police said in a statement. "As the evening progressed, many of the juveniles within the group began engaging in fights and disrupting the flow of traffic, repeatedly ignoring instructions to remain on sidewalks."

Metro Transit Police, United States Capitol Police, the National Guard and members of the Federal Task Force also responded to the area, closing streets and attempting to restore order. Authorities eventually cleared the park area and directed many of the juveniles to the Navy Yard Metro Station, police said.

The group was fully dispersed by 11 p.m., police said.

Officers made five arrests related to the incident, including:

• 18-year-old Kaeden Brown, of Accokeek, Maryland, for possession of a prohibited weapon (knife).
• A 16-year-old juvenile male, of Southwest D.C., for public consumption of marijuana.
• A 15-year-old juvenile male, of Southeast D.C., for affray.
• A 14-year-old juvenile male, of Southeast D.C., for failure to obey and resisting arrest.
• A 14-year-old juvenile male, of Southwest D.C., for failure to obey and resisting arrest.

Additional arrests were made by Metro Transit Police. An MPD sergeant suffered minor injuries after being knocked to the ground during the incident, police said.

“The behavior displayed last night in Navy Yard is unacceptable, and MPD and our law enforcement partners will have an increased presence tonight to ensure this does not happen again,” said D.C. Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith. “This group chose not to visit any of the events hosted by MPD or our DC agency partners and instead gathered in this manner."

Anyone with information on the incident that occurred in Navy Yard should call the police at 202-727-9099 or text 50411.