Fairview Heights police take juvenile into custody after large fight at trampoline park
Fairview Heights Police Department responded to reports of a fight involving an estimated 150 people at Sky Zone trampoline park late Saturday night.
Officers took one juvenile to the police station after reviewing surveillance video, according to a post Sunday on the department’s Facebook page.
Detectives are investigating.
Police reportedly began receiving 911 emergency calls about the fight at 10:30 p.m. The trampoline park closes at 11 p.m. on Saturdays.
“Arriving officers had a hard time getting into the facility because so many juveniles were running out and shoving the officers,” the Facebook post stated. “Officers were told numerous fights had occurred in different places inside Sky Zone.
“Officers began separating the crowd and calming individuals using de-escalation techniques. About 200 juveniles were now in the parking lot with almost no parents on scene.”
Fairview Heights police called for emergency assistance from other departments in the area, according to the Facebook post. About 20 additional officers arrived to help.
“Officers had to stay on scene in the parking lot for a lengthy amount of time waiting for parents to pick up their children,” the post stated.
“This type of incident cannot, and will not, be tolerated in Fairview Heights. Strong legal action will be taken against those involved. We are communicating with Sky Zone managers to change policies and procedures.”
Sky Zone opened in 2017 at 10850 Lincoln Trail in Fairview Heights, site of the former Hobby Lobby. It’s part of a chain of indoor trampoline parks with freestyle bouncing, dodgeball and fitness programs. It also has laser tag.
Fairview Heights police responded to another fight at Sky Zone in June 2021 that became controversial.
Protesters maintained that a cellphone video showed an officer using excessive force to break up a fight between two teenage girls who were among about 200 patrons at the time.
A subsequent internal investigation that was reviewed by the Illinois State Police and O’Fallon-Metro East branch of the NAACP found that the officer’s use of force was appropriate.
