07.04.2026 | 10:00 PM | NEWPORT BEACH – A Fourth of July celebration devolved into chaos Saturday night near a Pavilions grocery store on West Balboa Boulevard, drawing a massive multi-agency police response after crowds turned rowdy, with vandalism, illegal fireworks, fist fights, and multiple arrests reported.
Officers responded to the 3100 block of West Balboa Boulevard after revelers began stealing items and hurling them at the front of the store. The situation escalated and police issued a “999” — an officer needs help call — prompting at least a hundred officers from surrounding agencies to converge on the location.
Arriving officers established a skirmish line and worked to push crowds out of the store’s parking lot as fights broke out among the crowd and illegal fireworks were thrown into groups of people.
At least one man was tased and later detained after he allegedly attempted to rob and assault two County News Service photographers on scene. Additional arrests were reported, though the full extent of detentions and injuries had not been confirmed as of the time of this report.
Its unclear what lead up to the chaos though earlier video and reports showed revelers being dispersed from nearby beaches.
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