Jun 29, 2008 12:25 pm US/Pacific
2 Arrested, 11 Hospitalized During Coliseum Rave
LOS ANGELES
They call them raves for a reason...but it's possible some people took that term a little too seriously, according to police.
Two people were arrested -- one for punching a security guard -- and paramedics transported at least 11 people to area hospitals following a rave-style concert and carnival at the Los Angeles Coliseum Sunday morning, authorities said.
According to Los Angeles police Sgt. Stephen Faulk of the Southwest
station, the other arrest involved a motorist hitting a parked vehicle while leaving the event.
Witnesses said many of the rave-goers were doing the drug ecstasy.
Fire personnel, including paramedics, were sent to the 12th annual Electric Daisy Carnival yesterday 3 p.m. with shifts not ending before 5:40 a.m. today, said Los Angeles city fire spokesperson Brian Humphrey.
The extent of the injuries and conditions of the near-dozen people taken to area hospitals were not immediately known.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that some patients were "combative," and someone may have been inadvertently poked with a hypodermic syringe.
According to the Electric Daisy Carnival Web site, the rave is put on by Insomniac Events.
The crowd was estimated at 15,000-20,000 around 2 a.m.
Around 3,000 people were still raving on streets outside the Coliseum about 2 a.m., Moody said.
The main dance floor was cleared shortly after 4 a.m., but police said thousands of people were still slowly straggling toward their cars an hour later.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
