Newark Police Accused of Excessive Force in Warehouse Party Raid

Videos said to be taken during the raid of a Newark rave appear to show police shoving event headliner Frankie Bones up against a wall.

A warehouse party organized by Nocturnal Creature Society (NCS) in Newark, New Jersey was allegedly raided by local authorities in the early hours of Sunday, March 30, resulting in two arrests.

According to a statement with accompanying videos that has been shared over 1,100 times on Facebook, officers first arrived around 12:30am “to check for trespassing.” They allegedly tried to intimidate the organizers after they furnished proof of their rental agreement with the venue owner but “had no legal reason to enter.”

Then, around 2am, undercover officers allegedly entered the venue and approached the DJ booth without showing their badges or asking for the organizers to stop the music. One video appears to show an officer shoving event headliner Frankie Bones against a wall while others engage with another individual.

“An hour into my set, a guy in tactical gear comes up from behind and pushes me aside and is fucking with the mixer,” Frankie Bones (real name Frankie Mitchell” told EDM Identity over Messenger. “Never said he was a cop. Never said a word. I get in front of him and he grabs me and pushes me into the wall behind me.”

An anonymous event participant told EDM Identity over text message that the officers were “swarming every room searching everyone they could, including me.” They recounted that shortly thereafter, they and their friends walked outside to see performing artist Astrid and much of the security team detained.

The Newark Police Department confirmed in an email to EDM Identity that two people were arrested at the location of the event, and that the matter remains under investigation.

“This was not about safety,” the organizers’ statement continues. “This was about intimidation. They chose force over communication. They targeted a peaceful, organized event. We will not be intimidated. Rave is not a crime.”

This is a developing story and EDM Identity will provide additional information as it becomes available.