Paramedics and police were called to a concert at the Royal Theatre on Saturday night, resulting in assault and mischief charges and a trip to the hospital for a 34 year-old male.
Victoria police were called to the sold-out Mother Mother concert around 10 p.m., with reports of “a man who was intoxicated [and] fighting with people … and that he smashed a window,” said VicPD spokesman Const. Cam MacIntyre.
Seven police cruisers with nine officers aboard responded to the call.
The incident happened during a stoppage in the show due to a medical incident. A patron collapsed very close to the stage, and the show was stopped at the urging of the band. The theatre said the person received medical attention in the lobby.
While the house lights were on, a fight among several ticketholders took place in the upper balcony. In a video of the incident obtained by the Times Colonist, a group of men and women can be seen throwing punches.
The fight was witnessed by Solomon Siegel, who was seated in the upper balcony with his nine year-old daughter. The altercation prompted their immediate exit, but Siegel said he was impressed by a representative of the band, who met concerned guests in the lobby and offered him free tickets to a future Mother Mother show.
“[The manager] was excellent,” Siegel said. “She got my email, and before I was home there was an offer for complimentary tickets. She was in the hallway speaking with people when we were leaving, and was completely understanding.”
In the video, security can be seen breaking up the fight, which left two men shirtless. Another video shared online shows a woman who appears to be involved in the altercation pulling the hair of another woman.
The fight prompted an immediate response from Mother Mother lead singer Ryan Guldemond, who condemned the actions of the parties involved.
“You stop that now!” he shouted from the stage. “You get out of here, this is a place of love and non-violence.” His response prompted a supportive cheer from the audience. The concert resumed shortly thereafter.
The man was escorted outside in handcuffs by security. In the process of transferring handcuffs, the man became agitated. “We deployed pepper spray, because he was aggressive and violent,” McIntyre said. He was later released, pending further investigation.
Paramedics transported the 34-year-old male who was arrested to hospital to be “decontaminated” from the effects of pepper spray, MacIntyre said. Three officers were also treated on site.
mdevlin@timescolonist.com
