The Barbarians Are Inside The Gate

From the Daily Mail: "Uncontrollable street takeover sees participants throwing fireworks at cop cars as Connecticut authorities try to identify participants in gatherings that have run rampant across the state"--Daily Mail. From the article:

    Uncontrollable street takeovers that drew up to 1,500 cars from multiple states rampaged through at least four Connecticut cities over the weekend, leaving one cop injured.

    An officer was hospitalized after being assaulted while trying to shut down a takeover in a Milton parking lot that saw police pelted with fireworks.

    Police say the group was responsible for other street takeovers in the state, including in Derby and New Haven - with up to 1,500 people participating in the gatherings. 

    'It's scary. Very scary,' local Sandy Longobardi, of North Haven, told NBC. 'You can't go anywhere. You don't know what they're up to. Are they destroying things? Are they hurting other people?'

    Police said the group started in Shelton and traveled to North Haven, Orange, Derby and then back to Shelton as police pursued in an attempt to disperse them. 

    'Some of the vehicles traveled from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont for this event,' Shelton police detective Richard Bango told CT Insider.

    'When the vehicles arrived at Research Drive business parking lots they were turned away. The group then attempted to plan alternative parking lots to gather along Bridgeport Avenue using social media.' 

    Video taken in Derby showed fireworks raining down on cops and exploding in the street through a smoke-filled haze.

    Shelton police said they learned a takeover was being planned on Saturday.

    They coordinated a multi-agency response including the FBI and Connecticut State Police.

    * * *

    The Connecticut events came after Indianapolis was rocked by a similar event that drew more than 500 cars from various states - with some doing dangerous stunts as people hung out the window.

    The carnage ended with gunfire as cops tried to break up the gathering and the arrest of 23-year-old Sebastian Jimenez after he injured two cops after leading them on a pursuit.

    The city has seen a worrying rise in takeovers, which often see an influx of motorists illegally gather to perform risky maneuvers in cars and other vehicles.

    'It's unwanted by the community and it's a very dangerous activity,' Indianapolis police Northwest District Commander Lorenzo Lewis said.