A section of Dolores Street was closed on Saturday after a non-sanctioned skateboarding event turned into a riot.
According to SFPD, 32 adults and 81 minors were arrested in the riot near Dolores Park.
Around 6:15 p.m., a large group of people with skateboards gathered in Dolores Park. Police say crowd members started lighting fireworks in between Cumberland and Dolores Streets.
Some residents in the area must be escorted to their homes for safety.
Shortly after 7 p.m., a man approached a police sergeant, allegedly spitting in his face. The officer attempted to detain the man when a woman reportedly interfered.
The sergeant was assaulted and was taken to the hospital for the lacerations to his face.
The two suspects were a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl. Both were arrested.
After the incident, the crowd began to throw fireworks, smoke bombs, glass bottles, and metal cans at officers.
Around 7:15 p.m., officers made announcements to the area to disperse the crowd.
The park was closed, but people continued to light fireworks which started fires across the park. The San Francisco Fire Department was called to extinguish the flames.
Around 7:35 p.m., police received reports of gunshots at 18th and Church streets near a MUNI light rail vehicle (LRV) with passengers on board.
The LRV was unable to pass through the street due to the crowd.
As police arrived at the area, they saw people climb on top of the LRV and begin to vandalize it. Officers tried to remove the crowd, which resulted in people fleeing in several directions.
At 17th and Church streets, another MUNI vehicle was vandalized. According to police, they continued making announcements, but the crowd continued to light fireworks and vandalize properties.
Around 8:12 p.m., approximately 200 people with skateboards gathered at 18th and Dolores streets and removed the barricades the police had put in place.
Meanwhile, a third MUNI LRV nearby was immobilized by the crowd was vandalized.
Police decided to detain the crowd near Dolores and Guerrero Streets. At the scene, several firearms, fireworks, and narcotics were found.
Several people arrested were minors.
“This dangerous and unlawful behavior put members of the public and our officers at risk of serious injury or worse. This behavior will not be tolerated in our city and I thank our officers for taking action to hold those accountable who brazenly engaged in reckless and dangerous behavior and violated the law. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries.”
SFPD Chief Bill Scott
Dolores Street was closed to all pedestrian and vehicle traffic between 18th and 21st streets, the San Francisco Police Department said. The closure was expected to last from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m.
Police are still investigating these incidents and arrests. Anyone with further information is asked to contact the SFPD 24-hour tip line at 415-575-4444. Community members can also text a tip to TIP411 and start a text message with SFPD.
