New Jersey Concert Turns Chaotic With Arrests

Officers clashed with concertgoers in New Jersey on Sunday night when attendees reportedly made attempts to jump a gate at MetLife Stadium.

Several people were arrested outside of the Hot 97 Summer Jam concert, according to the North Jersey News website, following a melee that led police in riot gear to shoot pepper spray at the angry crowd. Attendees reportedly threw bottles at police officers and officers responded with force.

The Hot 97 Summer Jam concert, an annual hip hop and R&B show, drew huge crowds with artists including Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown and Big Sean headlining. The attractive line-up led the show to sell out early, according to a spokesperson, which angered some attendees standing in line for box-office tickets.

“When fans realized tickets were not available at the box office, a small number of people created an unsafe environment, and for the safety of all guests, the New Jersey State Police were on scene to disperse the crowd,” a spokesperson for Emmis New York, which owns Hot 97, told NorthJerseynews.com. “The gates were closed at that time. No further entry was permitted into the event.”

Concertgoers told CNN slow security lines also angered patrons, many of whom had tickets. The creeping lines reportedly blocked many from entering the show.

Despite the scene outside of the stadium, the concert carried on.