Dozens of eyewitnesses from last Thursday's Screen on the Green at Piedmont Park offered similar accounts of unruly -- and sometimes violent -- teens taking over the event with little resistance from security officers. But only one incident related to the fracas was reported to authorities, police say.
"I think if people had seen more uniformed officers there would've been more reports filed," said Ron Sweatland, who attended the screening of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" along with about 10,000 other people and 23 off-duty police officers.
In the one incident reported to police, 18-year-old Cherie Bythwood and a friend said they were approached by a group of teens who first taunted then assaulted them. Bythwood's purse was snatched, though it was later recovered minus her cell phone and digital camera. She was not seriously injured. Bythwood and her attackers are black, according to the police report.
Her father, Charles Bythwood, said the recent high school graduate is "having a hard time dealing with this. It's been pretty traumatic for her."
Josh Hice, 26, of Newnan, said he was driving by Piedmont Park Thursday night with a friend when they were attacked by a group of teens leaving Screen on the Green. One punched him in the face, he said.
"It split my lip, then they start climbing all over my Jeep, and I turn around and my buddy is getting punched in the face and has blood pouring out of his nose," said Hice, who thinks he and his friend were targeted by the black teens because they are white. "We were definitely victims of a hate crime."
Hice said he reported the incident to police.
Meanwhile, other attendees say many of the taunts and attacks were directed at the gay community.
Jesse Rhodes, who lives in Midtown and attended Thursday's movie, is organizing a boycott of Screen on the Green until "it's safe for everyone." He said a friend was assaulted but did not report the incident to police. Rhodes said he and many of his friends were showered with epithets referring to sexual orientation.
"It was targeted at the gay community, that's the general opinion of my friends who were there," Rhodes said. "We're not going to support an event where we don't feel safe."
Atlanta Police spokesman Otis Redmond said the incidents are not being investigated as hate crimes.
Police and parks officials are reviewing security protocols in place for last Thursday's screening. Interim Police Chief George Turner said Friday the movie drew a larger crowd than anticipated.
“They had a young – if you will – movie,” Turner said. “And they had more people than they anticipated. It was a lot younger crowd.”
This week's planned Screen on the Green showing of "Dreamgirls" has been postponed until June 17.
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