New details released in Copper Sky brawl

Maricopa police this week released new reports from the massive teenage brawl at the Copper Sky skate park during last month’s pop-up Spring Carnival. The unrest ended with criminal charges lodged against three children. 

Last month, the city cited an ongoing investigation in staying mum on what provoked the fight and how many people participated. 

The new police report provides answers. 

Cops said the fracas was between “30 African American males” at soccer field No. 4 with some callers reporting someone threatened to “shoot the area up” around 9:30 p.m. March 22. 

In total, 15 officers responded to the altercation. 

Officer Oscar Ramirez reported seeing a “large crowd” of kids “in a scuffle in the middle of the soccer field,” and when he flicked on his lights and sirens, “the crowd immediately dispersed.” 

Ramirez grabbed two sweaty, panting kids by the arms and detained them. One said he wasn’t involved and had no knowledge of the fight. The other refused to talk. 

A carnival employee told Officer Nathan Peterson he saw six of the boys fighting on the carnival grounds before running toward the skatepark. 

Peterson said Officer Raynold St. Jour was speaking to witnesses when “three more African American males approached him in an aggressive manner.” Peterson helped separate and detain the boys. 

Three female witnesses told police those boys jumped another boy and began punching him before running toward the skatepark. 

Another child involved said he was randomly attacked by a fellow student from his school who attacked him at a football game months earlier. 

Some of the children gave officers fake names, according to the police report. All kids involved were released to their parents. 

The new report does not specify the nature of the criminal charges referred. Because the accused are minors, their names and ages will not be released.