Cherry Hill Mall brawl caught on video

A vicious fight that involved several people at the Cherry Hill Mall Saturday evening has surfaced on YouTube, with a video shot by an unknown passerby capturing a kick-by-punch-by-throwdown account of the melee in front of a Gap clothing store.

Two teenage boys suffered minor injuries in the latest outlandish behavior to be shot and then posted on the Internet, with township police wondering why someone would use their cell phone to shoot video of at least one minute of brawling instead of calling 9-1-1.

"It looks worse (on video) than what police found when we arrived," Cherry Hill police Detective Sgt. Joseph Vitarelli said Monday. "The story here is the person who shot the video: Why didn't that person call police right away?"

Police found two teenagers suffering from minor injuries, Vitarelli said, when officers arrived at the mall shortly after 8 p.m. One boy refused treatment at the scene for scraps and bruises on his head and was taken home by his parents. Another boy went to a nearby hospital, where he was eventually released.

Vitarelli said it was the first time he can remember any brawl of that size breaking out at the mall on Route 38. Township police were notified initially of the fight by mall security.

In the video, a handful of teenagers can be seen punching each other. At three different moments, different teenagers involved are punched or thrown to the ground and then others kick and punch the boy who falls to the ground.

No charges have been filed, Vitarelli said, but the investigation is still active.

A spokesman for the mall would not comment on specific security measures in place before and after the brawl, but said in a statement that "the incident at Cherry Hill Mall Saturday night is isolated and rare. The mall has a zero tolerance policy for any disruption or crime aimed at our shoppers and employees. We maintain a strong security presence at the mall and work closely with the Cherry Hill Police Department throughout the year. We strive to create a safe, enjoyable experience for our shoppers and employees and that will not change as a result of this incident. We refer you to the Cherry Hill Police Department for further comment."

Vitarelli would not say where either of the injured boys or others involved in the fight live.