25-05-2025
Several injured in series of fights during Atlantic Beach bike week festivities, police chief says
ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Several people were hurt after a series of fights broke out early Sunday morning at the Memorial Day Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival in Atlantic Beach, the town's police chief told News13.
'There were a couple of fights that broke out, causing panic in the crowd and several people were injured trying to leave the area,' Chief Carlos Castillo Jr. said. 'Adequate police and medical staff were on hand to aid as needed and transport individuals to the hospital.'
Castillo said authorities couldn't immediately say how many people were hospitalized. A location was also not provided.
Castillo said music was paused as officers responded, but the event continued through 3 a.m.
'We sincerely regret that anyone was injured, but we also regret the infactual information that is being falsely spread about the Atlantic Beach Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival,' Castillo said.
Founded in 1980 by the Flaming Knight Riders, Atlantic Beach's bike week draws up to 400,000 people.
'Alone, it would be considered the third largest motorcycle rally in the entire country after Sturgis and Daytona. But when combined with Myrtle Beach's Harley Week, it has arguably more people than any other city,' Atlantic Beach says of the event on its website.
This is a developing story. Count on News13 for updates on air and online.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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