Several Injured When Fans Become Unruly at Concert

A heavy metal concert--broken up when fire officials ruled it was too crowded--spilled over onto a North Hollywood street late Saturday, as more than 300 fans broke shop windows and tossed bottles and rocks at police, officials said.

One officer was cut in the head by a thrown bottle, and two youths were arrested on misdemeanor alcohol charges, said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Phil Butler. Several youths required treatment for cuts from broken glass and flying rocks, said Assistant Fire Chief Jim Mullen.

In Saturday night’s chilly weather, firefighters sprayed water from hoses at one point to break up the crowds.

Concert producer Bryan Meckelborg said 1,325 tickets had been sold to the special “Bad Religion” concert, under the capacity of the movie theater being used. Police Capt. Dan Watson said 1,850 fans were jammed into the theater when fire officials shut down the performance and cited the theater for overcrowding.

Most fans began to leave quietly, but fistfights began, and, said Mullen, some unhappy fans started a fire in a second-floor trash can, which was quickly put out. About 200 seats in the theater were left bent and twisted.

The crowd surged onto Lankershim Boulevard shortly after 8:30 p.m., and between 300 and 400 concert-goers refused to leave the area and became “unruly.” Firefighters and trucks were hit by rocks, and about 30 police officers were sent in to break up the crowd, which smashed windows in shops, offices and a bank building.