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Detroit street takeover of 200 people leaves car on fire, multiple arrests

The Brief Hundreds took over a Detroit intersection, setting a car on fire and harassing bus drivers; three arrests were made. Police faced challenges responding due to the Mobile Field Force shift ending; the crowd was organized via social media. Resident Stephen Erter cleaned up after the chaos, hoping future incidents wouldn't result in fatalities. DETROIT (FOX 2) - For the second time in two weeks, hundreds of rowdy people paralyzed a Detroit neighborhood, taking over an intersection, setting a car on fire, lighting fireworks, and harassing bus drivers. What they're saying A street takeover occurred on Detroit's west side for an hour and a half. Detroit police say about two hundred people packed the intersection of 7 Mile and Meyers. Stephen Erter lives a couple of houses down from where it happened after 3 a.m. Sunday morning. "They were shooting fireworks at cars, they were threatening to shoot people," he said. "Alcohol and guns don't mix. A group of people were jumping on top of the white Challenger that was set on fire, and then a group of people started to jump on the bus, and then they started throwing fireworks at the bus, M80s at the bus." Three people were arrested when Detroit police eventually assembled and responded. DPD's Mobile Field Force was put in place last summer after another illegal gathering on the city's east side where 21 people were shot, but their shift ended at 3 a.m. "Because we did not have the large mobile field force on site anymore, we had to pull police cars from multiple precincts. You can't send one scout car into a crowd of 200 people and not put the officers at risk," Mayor Mike Duggan said. "It's becoming clear to the chief and me that these folks are figuring out the mobile field force is going home at 3 o'clock and have adjusted their strategy." Dig deeper Sources say these street takeovers draw crowds from the city and suburbs, and they organize on social media for social media. "You're not going to get any likes in the parking lot, but if they shut down 7 Mile, they will," Erter said. Erter cleaned up liquor bottles off the block. He says next time, he doesn't want them to be bodies.