Bodycam: Wis. Police Break Up Fights During Chaotic Mall Takeover

Body camera footage captured Wisconsin police trying to disperse a chaotic planned teen takeover at a mall last month.

Glendale police responded to a disruptive takeover at Bayshore Mall shortly before 6:30 p.m. March 29, WISN-TV reports. Once at the scene, they began breaking up several fights and using pepper spray to subdue participants.

Officers arrested 14 people, ranging in age from 12 to 19. Charges included disorderly conduct, battery and resisting police.

"I was disappointed to see what developed with a lot of the kids who were there," Mayor Bryan Kennedy told WISN on Tuesday. "It's not illegal for a bunch of kids to get together on a Sunday afternoon. What is illegal are the fights in the streets and the threatening clerks of stores."

Law enforcement agencies have been encountering a rash of teen takeovers, which are usually planned over social media and can paralyze businesses because of the participants rowdy behavior. The Milwaukee area has seen multiple incidents of this kind, with one happening at Mayfair in Wauwatosa and another at Milwaukee's Moody Park.