Fights Break Out At MLK Day Parade
Tulsa Police say six people were detained after a number of fights broke out at the Martin Luther King Jr. parade. Chaos on a day when Tulsa celebrates an extraordinary man’s legacy of peace.
During the Martin Luther King Jr. parade a number of fights with teens and gang members and onlookers broke out.
It happened at the entrance to the parade at E. Pine and N. Greenwood Ave. Tulsa Police say six people were detained after a number of fights broke out at the Martin Luther King Jr. parade. Sgt. Skipper Baine says two adults (names are not being released) were arrested. One for possesion of marijunana and another arrested for resisting arrest. Two juveniles were issued citations for assault and three juveniles were released to their parents. Baine says the fights were instigated by gang members but none detained at gang associations.
FOX23’s Abbie Alford reports on the challenge of stopping the violence.
Tulsa Police say the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Mounted patrol and a reserve deputy’s helicopter were used for crowd control.
During recent budget cuts, former Mayor Kathy Taylor grounded the two helicopters and dismantled TPD's mounted patrol.
One paradegoer called the fight mayhem.
"On a day where we celebrate peace, a day that we are honoring Martin Luther King Junior that did so much to fight for peace his whole theme was non violence," says Patricia Gaines who works with the anti-violence organization “Tulsa Study Group.”
However, even Dr. King couldn’t reach everyone and his fight was anything but easy.
And the fight remains a difficult one as young troublemakers couldn’t even take one day off from acting out violently.
"It's almost a disgrace to his legacy," says Gaines.
Police say they had to call for more than 50 officers from across Tulsa for back-up, even off-duty officers working other areas of the parade were called to control the chaos.
"Every time they started a fight we would break it up they would move a little ways and they would start fighting again," says Cpl. Scott Anderson.
While some got away many teens including girls were hauled off even by deputies on horseback.
No shots were fired and no weapons were found.
However, it’s this violence that has so many community organizers facing the same difficult questions Dr. King faced decades ago.
"How can we better our community how can we stop the violence?” says Gaines.
Another paradegoer says it’s about remembering what the civil rights leader King stood for in this generation.
"All of this is for a dream, let's keep the dream alive," says Eric Reynolds.
In 2005, Tulsa Police beefed up security after gang violence marred the parade.
Last year, police say they recovered guns from paradgoers.