‘Mob’ of juveniles at festival put cop and deputy in hospital, NC sheriff says

A police officer and sheriff’s deputy ended up in the hospital after they tried to quell a large brawl involving minors attending a town festival, according to investigators.

The fight erupted late in the day Saturday, May 17, at Salisbury’s popular Cheerwine Festival, which attracts as many as 50,000 people.

Salisbury Police officers and Rowan County deputies learned of a fight in progress and discovered as many as 10 people attacking each other, all believed to be minors, the Salisbury Police Department reported in a news release.

“Law officers were able to stop the fight, but not before one officer ... and one Rowan County Sheriff’s Deputy sustained injuries,” police said.

“The Salisbury Police Officer was transported to Novant Hospital and diagnosed with a severe concussion. The Rowan County Deputy was transported to Novant Hospital and later hospitalized due to a fractured hip.”

Details of how the injuries occurred were not released.

The minors involved were detained, but the police department was “denied” secure custody orders to arrest them, police said. As a result, “the juveniles were then released to their parent(s),” police said.

An age range for the minors was not released, and police did not report why the custody orders for arrests were denied.

Rowan County Sheriff J. Travis Allen said the violence was caused by “a mob of uncontrolled and unsupervised minors” and he noted the hospitalized deputy “will most likely suffer with the results of this injury the rest of his life.”

“I am extremely angered and concerned that these (minors) were released from custody with no immediate consequences for their actions nor any regard for the safety of the community,” Allen said in a release.

“I am requesting that the North Carolina State Department of Juvenile Justice grant ‘secure custody orders’ on every minor involved in the incident. The City of Salisbury Police and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office should be granted the authority to re-arrest these individuals and hold them accountable for their actions.”

This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 5:27 AM with the headline "‘Mob’ of juveniles at festival put cop and deputy in hospital, NC sheriff says."