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YOUNGSTOWN -- Four people were arrested early Sunday after a melee that took all of Youngstown available police resources to quell.
A Youngstown police report states that a series of fights outside downtown bars drew more than 15 officers from their department and Youngstown State University and took more than an hour to bring under control.
The report states that trouble began about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, as large crowds poured out of the Hookah Lounge and Social bars near West Commerce Street. Police reported multiple fights in the Hookah parking lot and along Commerce Street, prompting virtually every road-division officer and several special units to respond.
One officer wrote that he and two others were downtown working on Project Safe Neighborhood when "extremely large crowds" began leaving the two bars around 1:30 a.m. Police said several fights broke out simultaneously in the Hookah lot and elsewhere along Commerce Street.
Even with every road-division officer and multiple special units, police did not have enough officers to control the situation. The report states police spread out along Commerce Street and through the Hookah, Social and Voinovich lots trying to break up fights and keep the crowds from spilling into the street.
Police repeatedly used loudspeakers to order people to leave the area and stop fighting, but despite "countless warnings" several people continued fighting or arguing directly in front of officers.
Police began making arrests, and ultimately charged four people: Jordan Hewlett, 19; Saniyah Wright, 18; Dashawn Langston, 19, all were charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction, while a juvenile was charged with disorderly conduct and a curfew violation.
The incident ran for about two hours and police wrote that it took more than an hour before any officers could return to their regular duties.
The report does not mention any significant injuries.
Youngstown Municipal Court online records show that the three adults were arraigned Monday before Municipal Court Judge Renee DiSalvo, where they pleaded not guilty to the fourth-degree misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, and are due back for pretrial hearings on Oct. 14.