Union County deputies use ‘chemical agents’ to disperse pop-up party

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Chaos ensued in Lake Butler as a “pop-up” party spiraled out of control Saturday. Union County Sheriff’s deputies say more than 500 people attended the event at Lakeside Park.

Laquntanay Tisdale was at the party and said the deputies acted aggressively toward her.

“We went there for a water day, they said for everyone to leave. As we are leaving, we are stuck in traffic on the main road to get back to Gainesville. An officer came and sprayed the mace through my back window and the driver’s window, " said Tisdale.

Tisdale’s cell phone video shows a passenger in her car dancing in front of a law enforcement officer, who then appears to spray something into the vehicle.

She says she was leaving the party when this happened. There was traffic and nowhere to go.

Union County Sheriff’s office representatives did not respond to this video, specifically when we asked them about it, but they did say that cars were blocking roads and refusing to move. This is when chemical agents were used to gain control of the situation.

They say a majority of the people who attended the party were drinking or using drugs.

As deputies broke up the party, gunshots were fired by someone in the crowd and at least one person was shot and injured.

John Wadovsky, a Lake Butler resident, said the party got out of hand.

“They didn’t listen to the police’s commands here, so enforcements come in like the Bradford County S.W.A.T team and they had to disperse them with chemical agents.”

Deputies said they made several arrests and may bring charges against the organizers.

UCSO refuted an earlier report that a law enforcement officer used a racial slur.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2023 WCJB. All rights reserved.