Dangerous automotive stunts were captured on camera over the weekend in New Braunfels.
A crowd of at least a hundred people blocked off roadways while bystanders formed a barricade holding up traffic, as cars, waving flags, spun donuts in the streets.
This happened at multiple intersections after midnight Sunday morning when police said they received at least a hundred 911 calls.
“New Braunfels police responded to numerous incidents involving a car club from San Antonio with over one hundred vehicles that were blocking several intersections,” said David Ferguson, Media and Communications Coordinator with the New Braunfels Police Department.
Authorities said the car club chaos turned violent as participants threatened police officers.
“Some participants also set off loud, mortar style fireworks. They also shined laser pointers at responding officers, threw items or swung bats at officer vehicles and at least in one instance, sprayed pepper spray at an officer,” said Ferguson.
Officers were finally able to scatter the crowds.
Although a first for New Braunfels, these types of incidents aren’t new.
San Antonio Police have been trying to crack down on car clubs wreaking havoc across the Alamo City for months.
SAPD said that officers from multiple units have been dealing with an incident almost every night, although the violence from the activity has significantly decreased over the past few months.
SAPD sent KENS 5 this statement that said in part:
“SAPD’s DWI Unit, Patrol, Street Crimes Unit, EAGLE and Fusion have been proactive in tackling this issue. These units monitor these groups closely and take immediate action if they learn that they are blocking intersections or highway entrances or exits. Additionally, officers are experiencing that most car club members leave the location once officers arrive and ask them to disperse. For those individuals who have been arrested and charged, these cases have not gone to court yet but most are being charged with Reckless driving or Racing and vehicles are being towed. We are currently working on legislation with the state to help curb this activity.”
In New Braunfels, Ferguson said two men were arrested and two vehicles impounded after the incident on Sunday morning.
18-year-old Michael Castro was arrested and charged with obstructing a roadway, and 19-year-old Noel Bonilla was arrested for having drug paraphernalia.
When asked if the New Braunfels Police Department is sufficiently staffed to deal with massive incidents like this, Ferguson said officers responded within normal response time.
“Our officers were responding to numerous calls for service simultaneously, and not just those associated with the car club incidents,” said Ferguson. “We did our best to disperse the crowds safely and keeping officer safety in mind as well.”
Ferguson wants residents to know the department is prepared should these types of incidents happen again.
“New Braunfels residents really need to be rest assured that we have a plan in place to handle any similar future incidents,” said Ferguson.