2 people hospitalized after large fight near Santa Monica Pier

Two people were hospitalized after a large fight broke out near the Santa Monica Pier Saturday afternoon.

At approximately 2:21 p.m., Santa Monica Police responded to reports of a fight just north of the Santa Monica Pier near Tower 14.

A police drone arrived first on the scene and witnessed an active fight on the crowded beach.

During the fight, one person was stabbed and another suffered a broken ankle, police said.

Dozens of police officers broke up the fight and located the two victims at the scene, who were transported to hospital for treatment.

Five male suspects were arrested at the scene – three for assault with a deadly weapon, one for battery and one for sexual battery.

Images from the scene showed that large portions of the beach were cordoned off when law enforcement arrived and that many passers-by were watching the scene. Helicopters also surrounded the beach when investigators arrived.

Visitors on a busy Saturday afternoon were shocked by the sudden arrival of police officers.

“I've never seen such a police presence on the beach, so we were a little surprised,” said Danielle Russell, a beachgoer. “There were three ambulances, a fire truck and the whole area was surrounded by police vehicles and there were probably 25 police officers. »

“I know it's dangerous here, but we were surprised to hear there was a real crime scene here,” said Michelle Beaton-Kent, another person visiting the beach.

It is unclear what exactly sparked the fight, with the incident still under investigation. The identities of the suspects have not been released.

Anyone with information about the case can call the watch commander at 310-458-8427 or the non-emergency response line at 310-458-8491.

This developing story will be updated when more information becomes available.