6 Men and a Teen Boy Arrested After 'Violent' Fight Erupts Outside of a Restaurant: 'Horrific Level of Aggression'
Six men and a teenage boy have been arrested on "suspicion of violent disorder"
The arrests come as footage of a fight outside of a restaurant has begun to circulate online, showing men wielding sticks and with bloody injuries
'We will not tolerate anyone who acts in such a violent way on our streets or exposes members of our communities to such a horrific level of aggression when they go about their daily business," the local chief superintendent said in a statementSix men and a teenage boy have been arrested "on suspicion of violent disorder" as footage has begun to circulate online of a bloody fight outside of a restaurant.
On Friday, Aug 1, Gwent Police announced that multiple people had been taken into custody following what they described as a "violent" situation that prompted "online and social media commentary."
Around 3:20 p.m. local time, officers responded to Commercial Road in the city of Newport, Wales, where a group of men were spotted "fighting in the street," according to authorities.
Police arrested seven people — six men, ages 25, 28, 33, 40, 42 and 52, and a 17-year-old boy — and all remained in custody as of Saturday, Aug. 2. Of those arrested, four men were hospitalized. Two of them have since been charged, and two others remained in the hospital on Aug. 2.
Onlookers posted apparent footage on social media of the Newport incident, which was shared as screengrabs by both the South Wales Argus and the Daily Mail. The video showed multiple people on Commercial Road outside of a restaurant carrying what appeared to be sticks. A few of the men had bloody injuries to their faces and arms as an argument persisted, with some of those involved swinging their weapons at each other.
It remains unclear what prompted the altercation. Gwent Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for further information on Aug. 2.
'We will not tolerate anyone who acts in such a violent way on our streets or exposes members of our communities to such a horrific level of aggression when they go about their daily business," Gwent Police Chief Superintendent John Davies said in an initial statement. 'Violence in any form is completely unacceptable, and we have acted decisively in making these arrests; anyone else who is found to be involved in this violent disorder will also be dealt with."
Davies added that a "live investigation" is underway and, social media commentary and speculation 'about the identities of those involved will not help us secure justice against those found to be responsible.'
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Detective Chief Inspector Neil Blyth, who is the senior investigating officer, also said officials are "still conducting inquiries to establish what happened" and remained present at the scene on Aug. 2.
'While there is no cause for alarm, I would recommend taking the time to talk to them if you have any concerns or questions, but also if you have any details or information that could assist our inquiries," Blyth said.
Per Gwent Police, Commercial Road has since reopened, and authorities are encouraging anyone who was in the area between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Aug. 1 to get in touch.
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