Fresno Police on alert after social media takeover post gains attention

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno constabulary accidental they volition person a heightened beingness crossed the metropolis this play amid concerns implicit a imaginable "takeover" lawsuit publicized connected societal media.

Flyers circulating online person raised alarms astir a imaginable takeover successful Fresno, prompting constabulary to hole for accrued enforcement successful large gathering areas arsenic residents caput retired to bask outpouring upwind and scheduled events.

"Takeovers came to the forefront close aft COVID," said Bruce Thomas, a instrumentality enforcement expert. "It was a mode for radical to get retired nether societal media. Unfortunately, they person morphed into thing a small much dangerous."

Law enforcement agencies crossed the state person raised concerns astir the trend, which tin see sideshows, ample brawls and robberies.

In the Bay Area, the California Highway Patrol and San Francisco Police unopen down a planned Bay Bridge takeover involving a ample bicyclist group. In New York, constabulary arrested 1 idiosyncratic successful transportation with a chaotic takeover successful a neighborhood, wherever video showed a car doing unsafe stunts successful the mediate of an intersection.

"They fundamentally conscionable showcase their ain car oregon their ain antics, if we will, and that's what we telephone it successful instrumentality enforcement," Thomas said. "The lone occupation is, it's precise unsafe for the driver, the spectator, and the businesses successful the area."

Fresno Police program to person a ample fig of officers this play successful locations wherever a takeover could perchance occur. The anticipation of specified events, however, has near assemblage members uneasy.

"It has nary name, it's anonymous which is astir apt the scariest thing," said DJ Criner, elder pastor astatine Saint Rest Baptist Church.

A engaged Fresno buying halfway told Action News it is alert of the concern and is moving intimately with police. Criner said helium worries a takeover could yet enactment families astatine risk.

"But the scary portion astir it, if you don't recognize the language, you're dropping your kid disconnected to person a bully clip astatine the promenade erstwhile realistically there's a connection down it," Criner said.

The idiosyncratic who primitively posted the online flier has since backed away, saying it was meant arsenic a joke. Fresno police, however, issued a stern informing connected societal media, stating, "These types of 'takeover' events volition NOT beryllium tolerated successful our city."

California passed a instrumentality cracking down connected thoroughfare takeovers, allowing for jailhouse clip oregon hefty fines for those caught participating.

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