Video shows Screven County block party turning chaotic as crowd swarms officers, 2 taken to jail
By: -----
Hiltonia, GA - A tense confrontation in Screven County escalated when officers trying to make an arrest were surrounded by what they referred to as an "increasingly aggressive crowd" and several items were pulled from an officer’s duty belt.
The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Saturday as officers with the Hiltonia Police Department and deputies with the Screven County Sheriff’s Office monitored a large crowd gathered for a block party.
Authorities said the situation began when law enforcement spotted a vehicle traveling down the street with multiple people riding on top of it. Officers ordered those people to get off the vehicle, but the commands were ignored, leading to a traffic stop.
During the stop, several people ran from the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office. One man was later taken into custody inside a nearby home.
A second man was also seen fleeing, authorities said. When officers attempted to arrest him, a woman later identified as his mother stepped between him and law enforcement and physically interfered, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said the woman was placed under arrest, but she resisted while officers tried to handcuff her and attempted to pull away. Officers used what the sheriff’s office described as a control technique, which took both people to the ground.
As officers continued trying to take the woman into custody, the crowd around them grew larger and more hostile, authorities said. During the confrontation, several items were removed from an officer’s duty belt.
Law enforcement responded with a show of force to disperse the crowd and regain control of the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
The woman and the second man were ultimately taken into custody and transported to the Screven County Jail, authorities said.