Full Press Release from SCMP
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Note: Attached photo shows members of second group being sought for interview after altercation. Video of incident is available by second email. NEWS RELEASE Release at Will INFO SOUGHT ON RIVER ST. INCIDENT SAVANNAH, GA. (May 13, 2014): Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police detectives continue to collect and review videos of an altercation between what appears to be two families on River Street Saturday night and are seeking participants to complete their investigation. Downtown Precinct detectives would like to interview three males and two females about the altercation which took place near Rousakis Plaza about 9:48 p.m. Videos being reviewed by detectives show two large groups of people, each including children, walking on River Street. When one group encountered eight members of an Atlanta family standing on the sidewalk, one male avoided contact by walking into River Street while a male and female worked their way through the family. Just after that male walked through the cluster of family members, he was confronted by one or two males in the family and a verbal altercation ensued. The male who had walked around the family pulled the other male away and they left. But one of the males in the Atlanta family continued to talk to him. He broke free from the male who was leading him away and ran back into the crowd where a fight ensued, with members of both groups trying to break it up. The video does show a female with the second group trying to separate the parties and pulling a female family member away by her hair. But detectives could find no sign of a 6-year-old or 13-year-old child being punched, as a member of the family announced in a Facebook posting. Police were on scene within 10 minutes of the first call, but the second group had left by then. The videos showed that members of both groups were carrying beverages and officers on scene reported a heavy odor of alcohol.
Transcript of Full Press Release from SCMP
Note: Attached photo shows members of second group being sought for
interview after altercation. Video of incident is available by second email.
NEWS RELEASE
Release at Will INFO SOUGHT ON RIVER ST. INCIDENT
SAVANNAH, GA. (May 13, 2014): Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police detectives continue to collect and review videos of an altercation between what appears to be two families on River Street Saturday night and are seeking participants to complete their investigation. Downtown Precinct detectives would like to interview three males and two females about the altercation which took place near Rousakis Plaza about 9:48 p.m. Videos being reviewed by detectives show two large groups of people, each including children, walking on River Street. When one group encountered eight members of an Atlanta family standing on the sidewalk, one male avoided contact by walking into River Street while a male and female worked their way through the family. Just after that male walked through the cluster of family members, he was confronted by one or two males in the family and a verbal altercation ensued. The male who had walked around the family pulled the other male away and they left. But one of the males in the Atlanta family continued to talk to him. He broke free from the male who was leading him away and ran back into the crowd where a fight ensued, with members of both groups trying to break it up. The video does show a female with the second group trying to separate the parties and pulling a female family member away by her hair. But detectives could find no sign of a 6-year-old or 13-year-old child being punched, as a member of the family announced in a Facebook posting. Police were on scene within 10 minutes of the first call, but the second group had left by then. The videos showed that members of both groups were carrying beverages and officers on scene reported a heavy odor of alcohol.
“We certainly understand the frustration of a family who came to Savannah for an enjoyable weekend and ended up with injuries from an unpleasant situation,” said Police Chief Julie Tolbert. “But preliminary investigations show this was not a random act. We will continue to determine all the facts as we move forward.” Detectives are asking members of the second group, which appeared to be a family with children and an older couple, to come forward and provide their version of the altercation. One male was wearing a yellow shirt, the other a red shirt and later took it off and was wearing a white tank top. A younger female was wearing a white skirt or shorts and a beige or yellow top. The elder male was wearing all white and a white hat. They are asked to contact Downtown Precinct detectives via the SCMPD non-emergency number (912) 651-6500. # # # Julian Miller Public Affairs Administrator- Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (912) 525-3105 [email protected] scmpd.org @SCMPD
