NEW YORK (Sputnik) — The majority of the arrests occurred because concertgoers tried to push past security at the MetLife entrance gate, according to police.
“The Summer Jam 2015 concert held at MetLife Stadium last night [Sunday, June 7, 2015] saw an unusually high number of disorderly people resulting in the arrest of 61 people and minor injuries to ten troopers.”
Police also said bottles and trash were thrown at officers and security personnel, forcing riot police to use noise generators, pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
“A small group of highly disruptive people ruined this concert for many others,” New Jersey State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes said in the statement.
“They created a danger to ticket-holders, stadium employees and troopers on the scene.”
Fuentes added that the troopers took the “appropriate steps to restore order to what was a brief and volatile situation.”
Charges for the arrested ranged from trespassing and disorderly conduct to possession of a weapon and assault.
The annual Summer Jam concert series is hosted by WQHT-FM, a hip-hop radio station based in New York City.
