NORWICH, Conn. — Two officers were attacked after a fight broke out early Saturday evening in Norwich on Mechanic Street at Jenkins Park, according to a release from the Norwich Police Department.
A man, identified as Jaylen Jarmon, 23, was arrested and is facing charges of breach of peace, assault on a police officer, assault in the second degree and interfering with an officer.
Around 4:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to the park to provide a police presence after a 911 call was received from a woman reporting a possible physical fight over an ex-boyfriend, police said.
According to police, when officers arrived scene, they found a large event involving 200 to 300 people, including 10 to 20 people who were in a fight outside the fence near the basketball courts. Two officers ran toward the melee to attempt to stop the fighting.
Police said that as officers attempted to separate the individuals who were fighting, more people began jumping over the basketball court fence to engage in the fight.
Due to the large crowd that became out of control, police said additional law enforcement assistance was requested. Numerous agencies were brought in to help with crowd control, including the Connecticut State Police, Montville police, Ledyard police and Killingly police.
After Norwich police said they found a person bleeding from the nose and mouth and called for an ambulance, Jarmon allegedly ran from the parking lot across the street and hit another person in the back of the head.
According to police, officers used OC spray on Jarmon and attempted to arrest him. Police said he refused and began attacking the officers, putting one in a chokehold and "punching and and kneeing" the officer in the head.
Police said they then used fist strikes, OC spray and a Taser to get Jarmon to release the officer being held in a chokehold. Jarmon was placed into handcuffs and taken out of the area to avoid agitating the crowd, which according to police, "had grown hostile towards the officers."
OC spray was also used on multiple people within the crowd who surrounded the officers while continuing to be hostile and refusing to leave the area, police said.
Two officers were taken to Backus Hospital for treatment of facial and head injuries after being attacked by Jarmon, police said.
The park was eventually cleared and the event that involved the large crowd was shut down due to "the agitated state of the attendee and the possibility of further violence," police said.
According to police, multiple social media videos were posted that "do not clearly depict the entirety of what the officers encountered," and that body cam footage will be made available in the near future.
Police said the investigation is still ongoing and more arrests may be made. Anyone with any further information regarding the parties involved is asked to contact case Officer Goddu at 860-886-5561, ext. 3555.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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