SHARON Cops ask public to share tapes of brawl at game

Police said the investigation will take some time to complete because so many people were involved.
SHARON, Pa. -- Police are looking for copies of any videotapes that show the melee that brought the Sharon-Farrell high school basketball game to a halt Saturday.
Police have at least one videotape supplied by the Sharon City School District but would like to find others as they try to identify those involved in the fight in the bleachers.
Anyone who videotaped the game is asked to contact Capt. Michael Menster at the police department.
It will take some time to sort out who was involved and to what extent, Menster said.
What happened: Police said the battle began in the student section and that officers who climbed into the stands to end the fracas were attacked by others in the crowd.
One adult has been arrested on assault charges, accused of striking a police officer, and police have said they expect to file charges against numerous juveniles as well.
The fight involved between 70 and 100 people but no one was seriously injured, police said. About a dozen people were treated at Sharon Regional Health System for exposure to chemical spray and injuries suffered in the fighting.
Some Farrell residents have challenged the police version of what happened in the gymnasium, alleging that police overreacted and indiscriminately sprayed and assaulted Farrell students.
Few cops on duty: Sharon police had only four officers working security at the game when the fight broke out, but a number of other officers in the gym, some from Sharon and Farrell, joined those on duty to help quell the disturbance. The melee sent people, including some officers, rolling down the bleachers.
Sharon police called for backup from other departments and, at one point, there were 30 officers in and around the gym.