Richmond Police arrest man, deploy foggers to break up World Cup crowd at Cochiloco

Richmond police made one arrest and used department-issued foggers outside a West Moore Street restaurant Tuesday night after a World Cup celebration drew a crowd large enough that officers called in the fire marshal to check whether the building was safe.

Officers responded to the Cochiloco Mexican restaurant in the 3300 block of West Moore Street around 9:28 p.m. following reports of an extremely large crowd gathered inside and outside the business. When they arrived, the crowd outside made it difficult to reach the building or assess conditions inside. With patrons filling both the interior and the area outside, officers requested the Richmond Fire Marshal to evaluate the safety of the venue.

While officers waited for the fire marshal, security personnel directed them to a disorderly adult male. The man refused to comply with officers’ commands and was taken into custody without incident. He was charged with disorderly conduct.

As fights began breaking out among the crowd outside, officers called for backup. With the disorder escalating and the crowd growing, officers deployed department-issued foggers outside the restaurant to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. No injuries have been reported. Officers did not deploy the fogger inside the establishment.

Police Chief Rick Edwards said, “We’re proud to see our community come together to celebrate the World Cup. While the vast majority of those in attendance celebrated responsibly, officers acted quickly and in accordance with department policy when isolated incidents threatened public safety. We remain committed to ensuring Richmond is a safe place for everyone to celebrate.”

Richmond Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal said, “The safety of our community is always our top priority and when conditions become unsafe, we will always take the necessary steps to protect the public. I want to thank our firefighters, fire marshal’s office personnel, and the Richmond Police Department for their professionalism and swift response to this incident.”

 

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