Philadelphia witnessed a wave of illegal car gatherings over the weekend, resulting in injuries and extensive damage to police vehicles. The incidents stretched from 9:30 p.m. to 4:33 a.m., with Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) officers responding to multiple locations where groups ranging from 50 to over 200 cars were engaging in dangerous activities.
Participants, many of them teenagers, were seen drifting, launching fireworks, setting trash fires, and vandalizing police cruisers. The disruptions peaked around 4 a.m., when over 200 cars were involved in drag racing and drifting at the intersection of Island and Bartram Avenues. Officers were attacked, and a police vehicle was damaged before the crowd dispersed as reinforcements arrived.
Deputy Commissioner Mike Cram highlighted the reckless behavior, saying, “They don’t care about your safety, their own safety… It’s just about how much chaos can we cause?”
Many residents and witnesses in the areas where the chaos occurred spoke to FOX 29 about their concerns:
Just around the corner from the visible aftermath outside City Hall on Sunday, a gathering of motorcycles and other vehicles for the Philly Ride for Peace down Broad Street.
“I saw the street when I came around, horrible,” says Michele Jackson, organizer of Philly Bike Fest.
Riding alongside the family of Alaysia Smith, 13, fatally shot last week, Pastor Willie Singletary condemned the behavior overnight.
“We have no tolerance for lawlessness,” he says. “Real bikers who love this sport, this is our passion, we’re totally against that, if you want to do burnouts, go to Maple Grove, go to Cecil County, they got racetracks. If you want to do that kind of stuff go to the track, don’t do it in our city, this is where we live, this is where we stay.”
The PPD issued citations, made arrests and warned that more are expected as the Criminal Intelligence Unit continues gathering evidence from the night’s events. “Do not think for a moment that you got away with it and that you will not be held accountable. There are cameras everywhere,” the department stated, emphasizing that arrests will follow as the investigation proceeds.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) has been frequently criticized for being “soft on crime” due to his policies, such as reducing cash bail and avoiding harsh sentences for nonviolent offenders. His approach has sparked friction with law enforcement, as most police officers feel that Krasner’s policies hinder their efforts to curb crime.
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