Brawl at Ceres wedding reception causes injury, draws big police response
Dozens of law enforcement officers responded to a report Saturday night of a large brawl with serious injury at a wedding reception in Ceres, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.
The report of the fight, including a person possibly stabbed, was made about 9 p.m., sheriff’s Sgt. Luke Schwartz said Sunday morning. The location was the 2400 block of River Road, directly south of the Modesto Airport.
A Modesto Fire Department incident summary said deputies brought multiple patients to on-site emergency medical personnel for treatment. “Due to the size of the crowd and the unknown number of patients, an MCI (mass casualty incident) pre-alert was issued, along with a request for additional ambulances and fire companies,” the summary says. Three people were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Deputies worked to detain participants in the fight. A number of them were uncooperative and combative, to the point that nonlethal force including bean-bag and pepper-ball guns had to be used, Schwartz said. Ultimately, about 40 officers from multiple departments including Ceres police were dispatched to the scene, he said.
Deputies were unable to locate any stabbing victim, Schwartz said. But reconvening at a hospital, they learned that one person had been kicked while already on the ground unconscious.
Multiple people were arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, Schwartz said, and the person identified as kicking the unconscious victim remains at large and is wanted on suspicion of assault. No identifying information on the suspect was available.
