Huntsville AL Dec 21 2012 Alabama police were forced to pull out the pepper spray after a crowd of sneaker-heads got unruly while waiting for a chance to buy the newest Nike Air Jordans.
More than 100 people were in line in order to get their hands on the coveted Air Jordan 11 Bred kicks outside the Madison Square Mall in Huntsville when numerous fights broke out early Thursday morning, WAFF-TV reported.
Police used pepper spray to calm the mob, which had been forming since the mall closed its doors Wednesday night.
Some were so anxious to get the highly anticipated sneakers, which run a cool $185, that they refused to leave the line to receive medical attention.
But the crowd wasn’t waiting for the shoes themselves, police said. The horde of people had lined up simply to get one of 36 bands, which would ensure that they’d be able to buy the sneakers at a later date.
Officers with the Huntsville Police Department say “Black Friday” crowds paled in comparison to the scene outside the Madison Square Mall.
Other stores across the country also struggled to meet demand for the instant-classic sneakers.
About a dozen police officers responded to a Foot Locker in Columbus, Ga., after a crowd of hundreds got out of control waiting for the “golden ticket.”
“This is the first time we had to get tickets to get the shoes,” Brandon Jackson, 17, told WTVM. “They don't have people’s sizes and some people got away with cutting the line.”
Last year, gunfire broke out outside a Vallejo, Calif., mall as a crowd of more than 1,000 waited in line to get the 2011 Air Jordans.
The new Air Jordan 11 Bred shoes hit stores Friday.
More than 100 people were in line in order to get their hands on the coveted Air Jordan 11 Bred kicks outside the Madison Square Mall in Huntsville when numerous fights broke out early Thursday morning, WAFF-TV reported.
Police used pepper spray to calm the mob, which had been forming since the mall closed its doors Wednesday night.
Some were so anxious to get the highly anticipated sneakers, which run a cool $185, that they refused to leave the line to receive medical attention.
But the crowd wasn’t waiting for the shoes themselves, police said. The horde of people had lined up simply to get one of 36 bands, which would ensure that they’d be able to buy the sneakers at a later date.
Officers with the Huntsville Police Department say “Black Friday” crowds paled in comparison to the scene outside the Madison Square Mall.
Other stores across the country also struggled to meet demand for the instant-classic sneakers.
About a dozen police officers responded to a Foot Locker in Columbus, Ga., after a crowd of hundreds got out of control waiting for the “golden ticket.”
“This is the first time we had to get tickets to get the shoes,” Brandon Jackson, 17, told WTVM. “They don't have people’s sizes and some people got away with cutting the line.”
Last year, gunfire broke out outside a Vallejo, Calif., mall as a crowd of more than 1,000 waited in line to get the 2011 Air Jordans.
The new Air Jordan 11 Bred shoes hit stores Friday.
