Massive block parties in Florida end in arrests, police injuries

At least seven arrests were made and several cops were injured in Florida when weekend block parties attended by some 3,000 people in memory of a man who was murdered in 2008 turned violent, according to reports.

Footage released by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shows the masses attending the parties in DeLand on Saturday and Sunday when police said “things started getting out of hand as day turned to night.”

Although Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order advises against large gatherings amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, no law currently prohibits such crowds, the West Volusia Beacon reported.

One of the attendees, a 34-year-old Orlando man, was hospitalized after being shot in the foot while drinking with friends, according to clickorlando.com. Two men were arrested in the shooting, deputies said.

Alphonso Parker, 27, and Charles Turner, 37, were charged with resisting an officer without violence, inciting a riot and possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon.

Police said officers were pelted with several objects during the mayhem.

Among the issues faced by law enforcement were “a long gun pointed out of the passenger window of a passing vehicle, a loaded gun handed off from one convicted felon to another, agitated crowds of bystanders and bottles, jars and bar stools used against law enforcement as weapons or projectiles,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.

“As crowds dissipated in one location, new problem areas would arise,” the news release said.

On South Delaware Avenue, where about 1,500 people gathered, deputies saw two men exchanging a firearm, according to WFTV.

When a deputy ordered them to drop the gun, one of the men — later identified as Turner — threw the weapon and fled but was soon captured, police said.

Deputies recovered a Ruger 9mm with a round in the chamber and the hammer cocked, the station reported.

Turner, who was tased during the arrest, was charged with two counts of possession of a weapon/ammunition by a felon, tampering with evidence, inciting a riot and resisting an officer without violence. He was out on bond for other charges, police said.

The other suspect, Parker, was charged with the same offenses except tampering with evidence.

While the suspects were being arrested, two deputies were hit with a cup of alcohol. The person who tossed it was taken into custody, but another man who sucker-punched one of the deputies escaped, according to WFTV.

Two other officers also were struck by a stool and a jar by other members of the crowd who managed to flee, and bottles also were thrown at patrol cars while arrests were being made.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office called the incidents “dangerous, senseless, unacceptable and an embarrassment to our community.”

In a Facebook post, Sheriff Mike Chitwood defended the actions of the deputies.

“Where else in Volusia County does a mob of thousands of people pack the streets? Where else are people throwing glass bottles at law enforcement and sucker-punching deputies?” Chitwood wrote.

“How are we supposed to turn a blind eye to someone pointing a gun at a crowd, or two convicted felons exchanging a loaded gun right in front of our face? Our response to last night’s events in DeLand was not about race. It’s about public safety.”

The gatherings were held in memory of Kenya Alexander, who was killed in 2008, the Beacon reported.

“Overall, deputies conducted 12 traffic stops, issued five citations, towed five vehicles, made seven arrests, recovered two firearms, some narcotics and $3,840 in cash,” Volusia County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Andrew Gant said.

People expressed frustration at action taken by police, especially since, according to several witnesses, there had been no trouble before officers tried to break up the gathering.

“Can we enjoy ourselves? No,” one woman said, adding, “We are human too — black lives matter. Every life matters.”

She added, “Why do they try to take our humanity? Our pride? It’s not fair to us — we’re all human. We all bleed the same blood. When he made us, he made y’all.”