Ten people were involved in a major fight at a Derby community center after a wedding party spiraled “out of control” and into violence.
The trouble revolved around a wedding reception being held at the Indian Community Center on Rawdon Street in Normanton.
Police say people were beaten and kicked in the head, resulting in two arrests.
An angry young woman pushed several police officers around during the fighting.
Police have released full details of the alarming incident during a Derby City Council meeting this weekend to discuss a request for notification of a temporary Indian Community Center event for a christening ceremony.
Derbyshire Police officers want to prevent the christening ceremony from taking place over fears of further trouble.
The wedding party erupted in violence on Saturday night, September 11, and into the early hours of Sunday, September 12, where police say a major fight broke out involving ten people.
Problems seemed to escalate and continued past 5am, more than two hours after the event was expected to end.
A dramatic witness account of the incident, released as part of the police license appeal, is asking for officers’ help: A witness said: “Fighting inside the center. I don’t know what’s going on – just come here, just come here.”
Details of the incident were released during the meeting on Wednesday, November 3rd.
PC Gemma Williamson, Licensing Enforcement Officer at Derbyshire Police, said: “Two people were arrested at the scene of suspected assault and it was found that there was large quantities of alcohol in the premises at the table, which were found to be liquor bottles traded .
“I investigated this incident and the criminal report states that several men were hanging around the gates of the compound when the police arrived.
The Indian Community Center is located on Rawdon Street
(Image: Derby Telegraph)
“The gates were locked and the men appeared to be drunk.
“For all we know, there was already an incident inside that we never really got all the facts about.
“When the police officers arrived the gates of the premises were locked, the police can see there is a mess inside but cannot actually get there.
“The key holder was then located, managed to open the gate and when that happened both parties came together inside and outside and that led to (the fight).
“There are basically not enough officials to control what is going on.
“One person was hit, another kicked.
“The level of intoxication was the likely cause of the incident.”
PC Williamson confirmed that one of the perpetrators received a fixed misdemeanor penalty and the other received a warning.
Referring to the two officers who were pushed, a spokesman for Derbyshire Police added: “The officers were not injured and the woman has been issued a fixed penalty for obstructing police.”
Baldev Singh Punni, the site manager of the Indian Community Center, apologized to the community for the troubles that have erupted.
He told the meeting: “I am very sorry about the incident on September 11th and 12th. Since then, we immediately hired security guards.
“I can’t explain how it happened, but now that it happened I can do something about it.”
Mr Punni added that management at the center had regularly cooperated with the police since the fighting broke out.
Center bosses have asked the council to allow the center to remain open until 3am on Saturday morning (November 6) for a christening ceremony.
About 250 people could attend if the application is approved.
The city council has yet to make a final decision.
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