ORLANDO, Fla. – After a chaotic weekend at ICON Park where deputies say more than a thousand teens showed up and fights broke out, the entertainment complex has announced a new chaperone policy aimed at preventing it from happening again.
Video from Saturday night shows teens running through the area as deputies respond, with some using pepper spray to break up crowds. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says multiple fights broke out, leading to arrests and injuries to two deputies.
Witness Virgil Goodson said the situation escalated quickly.
“Chaos. Teens running everywhere. Large sheriff’s office presence. Initial reaction was, is it an active shooter?” Goodson said.
[WATCH: Orange County sheriff talks ICON Park 1,000-teen ‘takeover’]
The sheriff’s office says more than a thousand teenagers gathered at the park, forcing deputies to step in.
“Some are charged with battery, some are charged with resisting law enforcement, some are charged with battery on a law enforcement officer,” a spokesperson said.
In response, ICON Park released a new chaperone policy on Wednesday that it says can be activated at any time without notice.
The policy states:
“Guests 17 years of age and younger must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone aged 21 years of age or older, to enter or remain on ICON Park property.”
It also says:
“One chaperone may accompany no more than six guests aged 17 or younger.”
ICON Park did not say whether the policy is currently being enforced.
Goodson said he understands the reasoning behind the change.
“I think it’s a good policy, but I also think it kind of is… it messes up for the kids who are responsible… but for the safety of everyone else and the chaos from Saturday night, it is needed. Definitely.”
News 6 asked if the new policy is currently active and if unaccompanied minors are currently allowed at ICON Park, but they refused to answer questions, only referring back to the text of the policy.
It remains unclear when the policy will be put into effect.