(Updated) Up to 60 teens ended up involved in a brawl that revealed apparent violations of Covid-19 restrictions at Hamden’s Funz Trampoline Park Saturday night.
The fight began between two teens, then escalated into a chaotic scene involving Hamden and New Haven police as well as Funz staffers. No arrests were made, and there were no injuries, according to Hamden Police Chief John Sullivan.
“We were called there for a fight,” Sullivan said. “There was a large crowd and our officers arrived with the assistance of New Haven PD to help disperse the crowd.”
The fight started around 9 p.m. inside the indoor trampoline park at 1245 Dixwell Ave. As the fight continued, the girls involved moved into the vestibule and outside into the parking lot.
A manager at Funz named Winston (he declined to give his last name) said that staff called 911 when they were unsuccessful in de-escalating the fight. A video posted to Facebook taken by another minor at the park at the time shows over a dozen park participants surrounding a clash between staff. Later videos show police attempting to separate the girls. (Watch them above.)
Hamden police spokesperson Capt. Ronald Smith reported in a release Monday that the fight grew to include “40 to 50 teenagers.” The release estimated another “150 patrons [were] inside the trampoline park,” failing to practice social distancing. “Very few patrons were wearing masks,” he added.
Police plan to contact Quinnipiac Valley Health District about the violations.
Sullivan and the manager at Funz estimated it took 30 minutes to an hour to resolve the situation.
“I am going to think that a majority of the officers on duty at the time, just about everybody went to the scene,” Sullivan said.
Around the same time in the area of the trampoline park on Dixwell Avenue, there was also a road rage situation. Sullivan said the two are being confused on social media, but confirmed that the fight inside Funz was not related to road rage.
The word "mayhem" means dismemberment.