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Police Use Tear Gas on Concertgoers Outside Hot 97 Summer Jam Concert

Hot 97 Summer Jam

Crowds outside Sunday night’s Hot 97 Summer Jam concert at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey became engaged in conflict with police blocking the gates to the festival, according to ABC reports. With tickets sold out to the event — which featured performances from Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean and Chris Brown — some people tried to bypass the line in order to get inside, and State Police forces in riot gear were dispatched to close the gates and prevent unlawful entry. The situation escalated, with would-be concertgoers throwing bottles at the police, and the troopers using tear gas to scatter the crowds. An unreported number of arrests were made.

Ultimately, the gates were officially closed off and no further attendance was permitted, including to those who had already acquired tickets. The New Jersey State Police offered the following statement by way of explanation for the night’s events:

This evening, security personnel at one of the entrance gates to MetLife Stadium were confronted by crowds attempting to illegally enter the sold out Summer Jam concert by climbing over fences and forcing their way through security personnel. The gates have been shut and troopers on site have called for assistance from several nearby stations to help maintain order. Troopers and stadium security officials are insisting that all people outside of the gates depart the MetLife grounds to avoid congestion when the concert lets out. There is no number of arrests available at this time.

In response to complains from paying fans denied entry to the concert, Hot 97 has offered to refund all non-scanned tickets, and also issued a statement about the conflict outside MetLife Stadium:

Due to strong demand for tickets for Summer Jam 2015, the show sold out early this evening.
When fans realized tickets were not available at the box office, a small number of people created an unsafe environment, and for the safety of all guests, the New Jersey State Police were on scene to disperse the crowd. The gates were closed at that time. No further entry was permitted into the event.
For ticket holders whose tickets were not scanned, refunds will be offered at the point of purchase.