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Forty years ago today, a mob of 300 to 400 teens rioted outside a dance in West St. Paul, overwhelming police and resulting in six arrests.
On October 17, 1986, the recently opened Circus at 1422 South Robert Street brought in a band for their first scheduled dance. Later known as Circus Pizza and then Chuck E. Cheese, they offered arcade games and pizza. The problem started when they kicked everyone out just before 9 p.m. so they could be charged for the dance. About a hundred kids from inside joined the long line of kids outside waiting to get in, creating a charged atmosphere ripe for trouble.
- What happened: Two teenage boys started fighting in the parking lot. Police working security broke up the fight, but it set the stage for further escalation. The trouble really started when police noticed a teen with a walking stick. Thinking it might be used as a weapon, officers tried to take it away. Then another teen allegedly jumped on the back of an officer. While the teen and the police officer wrestled, a crowd of teens pressed in to help the teen. Officers sprayed “cap-stun” into the air, a mace-like chemical, to keep the crowd at bay and called in reinforcements. It escalated from there, with teens jumping on squad cars and attacking police officers.
- Damages: While no officers were seriously injured, one officer was surrounded by about 50 teens and hit in the head several times with a piece of exhaust pipe, causing his ear to bleed. Several other officers reported bruises and torn uniforms, and another reported broken eyeglasses and his badge ripped away from his uniform and stolen. One of the arrested teens caused more than $1,000 damage to a squad car by kicking out the back doors.
- Reaction: It ultimately took more than an hour for 14 police officers from West St. Paul, South St. Paul, and Mendota Heights, as well as the K9 unit from South St. Paul, to disperse the angry crowd estimated at 300 to 400 people.
- Arrests: All six of the arrests were males ages 15 to 16. Five were from the West Side and one was reportedly a runaway from St. Paul. Four of the six were apparently drunk, though Circus didn’t serve alcohol. Charges were pending at the time of the report, but were expected to be criminal property damage, assault, disorderly conduct, and obstruction.
- Permit: The city said Circus did not have a proper permit to hold a dance and also lacked special permission from City Council to hold a dance for minors.
- Ongoing: Circus held another dance the next day without any issues.
West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon recalled the incident and said in the aftermath he remembers seeing officers doubled up in squad cars with riot gear as a precaution. The police chief at the time, Gerald Husman, said the riot was not the biggest or the roughest in the history of the city.
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One Response
I was in Mendota Heights in 1982 as a 12-year-old exchange student from England, which means that by October 1986 I would have been 16 or 17 years old. It’s quite possible some of my old classmates were involved in this riot. I wasn’t aware of it until now, but I hope everyone who was involved got out safely, no one was really hurt badly, and we’ve all learned from this. Peace to my American friends