HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (WXYZ) — A chaotic Fourth of July fireworks display in a Hamtramck shopping center parking lot sent a police officer to the hospital and left witnesses shaken, as police now work to identify those responsible using videos posted to social media.
One officer was taken to the hospital with second-degree burns after being hit in the leg with a firework. One minor was detained on scene.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
Videos of the incident spread widely on social media, showing teens and young adults throwing fireworks into crowds and shooting them at each other. In one viral clip, a young man lights a mortar launcher in a shopping cart while holding it over his head as friends push him and a police officer tries to intervene. In another clip, two young men in shopping carts move toward each other with lit fireworks, with one barely missing the other. No bystanders were seriously injured.
Mohamad Baidani was among those who posted clips of the incident on social media.
"I went to the store to get a box of water and in the last 30 minutes, it was crazy. Everyone was throwing fireworks at each other. I'm like 'yo, I need to record,'" Baidani said.
Witness Mohamed Dhifullah described the moment the chaos erupted around him.
"I see something exploding in front of me and everyone running in a direction," Dhifullah said.
Witness Ali Ahmed said the situation escalated rapidly as the night went on.
"Everyone was going crazy. After 11 p.m., they were going after each other, going crazy," Ahmed said.
Ahmed added that the scene felt extreme.
"It was like a war, honestly," Ahmed said.
Days after the fireworks display, remnants of it still remain in the parking lot. The majority of the mess left behind was cleaned up by Monday.
Hamtramck Police Chief Hussein Farhat said the behavior will not be tolerated and that investigators are actively working to identify those seen in the videos. He said some could face felony charges, and that parents of minors involved could also face consequences.
"Obviously, it's not something we tolerate here," Farhat said. "If they're under 18, the parents will be charged. If they're over 18, inciting a riot, whatever it is, the charge, we will go for it," Farhat said.
Farhat said the incident is not representative of the city.
"It does not reflect this community. It does not reflect what happens every day in the city of Hamtramck," Farhat said. "Overall, this event was peaceful. We just had some characters, young individuals, immature, who felt it was OK to fire roman candles and fireworks at each other.”
Baidani says he hopes the situation is not repeated.
"It is bad, especially there's families here, kids here. I would never recommend this again," Baidani said. “I don’t know what they were thinking."
Police say anyone with information should contact them.
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