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<br />Police Department <br /> <br />For Immediate Distribution <br />Type of Incident: <br />Location: <br />Date /Time Occurred <br />Press Contact <br />Disorderly Shoe Buyers <br />Southcenter Mall <br />12/23/11 0200 -0600 <br />Mike Murphy <br />Case Number: 11 -8623 <br />Phone Number: 423 -0761 <br />Description of Incident <br />Distribution: <br />Local Media <br />Mayor's Office <br />City Administrator <br />City Clerk's Office <br />Council Analyst <br />PD Administration <br />PD Supervisors <br />PD Records <br />Starting at about 2:00 AM today, a large crowd gathered to buy Air Jordan shoes that <br />were to go on sale at four stores in Southcenter Mall this morning. As the crowd <br />increased, fights broke out as people tried to cut in line. The crowd swelled to over <br />1,000 people (one report estimated the crowd at 2,000 people). The situation continued <br />to degrade. Tukwila Police called for mutual aid; officers from Kent, Renton, Des <br />Moines, King County, and Seattle responded to assist. <br />Two mall doors were broken by unruly people trying to gain entry to the mall. Officers <br />used pepper spray to disrupt fights in the crowd. One officer was punched by an 18 <br />year -old man; that man was arrested and taken to jail. The officer was uninjured. Once <br />additional police were on scene, the crowd waited without further violence. Empty <br />alcohol bottles were found and officers smelled marijuana on some people as they <br />passed. <br />By about 6:00 the shoes were sold out and the mall returned to normal. <br />A large crowd of shoppers is expected in the Tukwila retail areas over the next few <br />days. Visitors are encouraged to be patient and to anticipate potential waits in traffic <br />and parking lots. <br />Jim Haggerton, Mayor <br />Michael Villa, Chief of Police <br /> <br />