Rap Show Ends in Melee After Crowd Breaks In

A rap concert at the Oakland Coliseum was cut short late Friday as a melee erupted with reports of shots fired and bottles hurled at officers.

Authorities canceled the remainder of the “Cash Money” rap tour concert when the crowd outside broke through the arena’s doors and stormed the performance hall about 9 p.m. Several fights broke out, and people in the 12,500-member audience smashed windows and threw chairs. Outside the arena, there were reports of gunshots, police said.

One sheriff’s deputy was hit in the head with a chair but was not seriously wounded because he was wearing a helmet, police said. There were about 25 reported injuries, but police did not have information on the severity of the injuries Saturday.

By 11 p.m. the melee was brought under control by about 250 officers from the Oakland Police Department, California Highway Patrol and other security personnel.