Large crowd of teens draws police response, snarls busy Nashville intersection

The Tennessean

For the second time in a month, a crowd of hundreds of teenagers drew a large response from Nashville police Saturday night, prompting them to shut down part of a busy intersection and blare their sirens to try to disperse the crowds.

At least six city police units along with at least four Nashville fire vehicles responded to the area near 12th Avenue and Broadway at about 9 p.m. Saturday.

Crowd of teens snarls Nashville traffic Crowd of teens snarls Nashville traffic

Hundreds of teenagers, some of whom appeared to be as young as 12 and others in their late teens, were milling about the intersection as well as in an around a nearby McDonald's and Exxon station.

Police units effectively blocked 12th Avenue between McGavock Street and Broadway for a short time. Part of Broadway was also blocked near 12th Avenue as police tried to disperse the crowds.

There were no reports of serious injuries. It was not immediately clear if there was any significant damage at either the gas station or the McDonald’s.

By 10:30 p.m., the roads had reopened, the crowds had dispersed and the two businesses appeared to be operating normally.

Amid the din of sirens and teenagers yelling to one another, police Sgt. Brian Petty said at the scene that the incident first began at a venue hosting a youth event at 12th Avenue North and Porter Street.

The police department responded there after fights broke out and Petty said the teens ran up 12th Avenue to the much busier intersection at Broadway.

The name of the venue hosting the youth event was not immediately available.

Petty said at one point there were as many as 400 or 500 teenagers gathered in the area. He said police units from multiple parts of the city had to be called into help control the crowds.

“This has got to stop,” he said, noting the strain the incident puts on department’s central police precinct.

It was not immediately clear whether the Tennessee Highway Patrol or Davidson County Sherriff’s Office assisted in the response.

Police cars that responded to the scene were parked with their lights flashing and sirens blaring in an effort to disperse the teens.

Petty said the fire department was called after reports that a couple of the teens had pepper sprayed one another during the fights. Fire trucks and ambulances that responded also had their sirens blaring, further adding to the cacophony.

A similar incident happened July 14 at the same intersection. Fire and EMS crews did not appear to respond to that call. But Petty said that incident also disrupted business at the gas station and the McDonald’s as police tried to disperse the crowds.