TORONTO — A teen girl is facing charges after a commotion at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, which shut down earlier than planned on Tuesday over safety concerns.
Toronto police say officers were at the fair around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday arresting a man on an unrelated matter when a large group surrounded them.
CNE shut down because of this fight. #CNE #CNEFight pic.twitter.com/dW0W2LChD7
— Ali Binesh (@AliBinesh) August 31, 2016
To protect themselves and the safety of the man who had been taken into custody, the officers left the area but the crowd followed and a girl allegedly began to push a barricade towards police and the arrested man.
Police say the girl then allegedly attempted several times to punch one of the officers and refused to follow commands to stay back.
When a decision was made to arrest the girl, police say she tried to escape into the crowd by kicking officers, who had to use pepper spray to control her.
.@TorontoPolice escorting everyone out of the midway area at CNE. Large crowds to deal with. pic.twitter.com/p8tOY7lAo6
— DR (@Media371) August 31, 2016
The 16-year-old Toronto girl, who cannot be named because of her age, is charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer and one count of obstructing a police officer.
The entire incident occurred on one of the busiest nights at the CNE, which was holding its Youth Day, when the price of admission was reduced to $6 per person after 5 p.m.
The CNE said it shut down early on Tuesday as a "proactive measure" to curtail overcrowding and ensure the safety of guests.
Police said there was no risk to public safety, but officers on horseback and others were deployed to the lakefront facility to disperse the large crowds.
@metromorning I was at the Ex last night. It was sheer chaos. As an expat living in LA I was so out of here. No longer feel safe in Toronto.
— Naomi Harris (@mapledipped) August 31, 2016
They also said there had been a number of fights inside the grounds.
The CNE is Canada's largest fair and has been staged at Toronto's Exhibition Place for 138 years.
