BRENTWOOD – The Brentwood Police Department said it was aware of a large youth gathering at a mall days in advance of the “destructive” incident, prompting the agency to coordinate extra staffing to prepare for any potential disruptions.
Around 3:30 p.m. last Friday, more than 300 juveniles descended on the Streets of Brentwood, an open-air shopping center located off Highway 4 and Sand Creek Road. The situation eventually turned chaotic, prompting some stores to close early. Five were ultimately arrested.
Brentwood Police Department Captain Walter O’Grodnick said his agency learned about the gathering, which was organized through social media and word of mouth, about a week prior, and deployed additional staffing to avoid impacting the department’s regular patrols.
“Unfortunately, the group grew rather significantly, and when we realized they were becoming disruptive and destructive, that’s when we leaned on our allied agencies, such as the Oakley Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office,” O’Grodnick told this news agency.
O’Grodnick said his department had “shared the information” with the shopping center’s management to plan accordingly, noting such situations are “hard to predict.”
“We’ve had peaceful gatherings, and then there’ve been times where some become disruptive and destructive, and in that case, we utilize the resources we have to do the best job that we can to protect the safety of the residents and customers,” he said.
Brentwood was not the only city that had such a gathering. According to ABC7 News, Alameda County also had hundreds of youth who showed up at the South Shore Center parking lot on Friday. It reportedly ended in fights, with two taken to the hospital.
In Brentwood, the situation escalated during the early evening as the crowd grew, officials said.
“Individuals began engaging in disruptive behavior, including assaulting two police officers, fighting among themselves, blocking walkways, interfering with local businesses, and refusing to leave the property when directed,” said the police department.
Officers had arrived and began issuing dispersal orders, but it took a few hours for the crowd to fully cooperate. Officers remained on the scene to prevent further disturbances.
The incident led to several arrests, including one juvenile who was arrested for assaulting an Oakley officer and another who was arrested for assaulting a Brentwood officer, officials said Tuesday.
“Fortunately, neither officer sustained major injuries,” said the department.
Brentwood police had previously said five juveniles in total were arrested – four for misdemeanor violations and another for battery on a peace officer. All five were cited and released.
The majority of the juveniles involved “appeared” to be from other cities throughout the Bay Area, Brentwood police said.
There were no reports of significant property damage at the Streets of Brentwood, but O’Grodnick said businesses made the independent decision to shut down for the safety of their staff and property.
Brentwood police said it actively reviews incidents and evaluates preventative measures, such as increased patrols, coordination with neighboring law enforcement agencies, and communication with local businesses.
“We also urge parents and guardians to be aware of their children’s activities and to play an active role in preventing this type of behavior,” said the department.
Streets of Brentwood Senior General Manager Charles Martinez said management will be working closely with the police department to be “prepared for whatever that happens.”
“It could be anything, so preparation is always key,” said Martinez. “We want to support law enforcement, and we appreciate them.”
Junior Gomez, a manager at Chill Tea and Coffee, said the store closed at 5 p.m., as usual, and was not affected by the gathering.
“The Brentwood PD was on top of it, and our (shopping center) security team did a good job and handled it well,” said Gomez.
Brentwood Mayor Susannah Meyer, who visited the shopping center over the weekend, said things were back to normal.
“I heard it was a TikTok challenge, and I think Alameda County also had one the same day,” Meyer told this new organization. “It wasn’t just a Brentwood thing; there were other cities that were dealing with it.”
Meyer said there was “a lot of misinformation” spread over the weekend, but said city officials will meet soon to debrief about the incident.
“There’s going to be some different opinions on how this whole thing should have been managed or could be managed if it happens again,” said Meyer. “It’s a trend, and something like this could happen again, and I don’t know how you can completely prevent it.”