St. Louis officers took at least one person into custody at Tower Grove Park on Monday evening after “multiple large fights broke out” during a Memorial Day barbecue, according to a police statement.
People nearby reported hearing a loud bang shortly after 6 p.m., which an officer at the scene later said was a firework. Police reported no injuries.
Dozens of St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers flooded the park, parking SUVs — many with blue and red lights still flashing — on the open field between Arsenal Street and Southwest Drive.
Officers stood in small groups in multiple locations throughout the southwest portion of the park; others blocked park entrances at Arsenal Street and Magnolia Avenue. At the latter entrance, red flares were placed in a line along the asphalt.
A Memorial Day barbecue centered around the nearby Gurney picnic area had featured food trucks and vending earlier in the day. The St. Louis chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity sponsored the event, described on a promotional flier as the 31st annual iteration.
By 6:30 p.m., a traffic jam ensnared a loop of roadway inside the western part of Tower Grove Park as people tried to leave, but the mood was calm.
At least one officer declared the park was closed — but not far from the concentration of police, park life went on. A gathering at the Turkish Pavilion continued, and children used the swings in front of the Roman Pavilion as music from an ice cream truck parked in the traffic circle filled the air.
