D.C. police arrested over 20 people on Friday and Saturday for disorderly conduct in the District, including using illegal fireworks, according to officials.
Cellphone video sent to News4 showed fireworks shooting up into the air from the street and some of the mini explosions sent people running to find cover.
D.C. police said they responded to several calls about disorderly behavior and the use of illegal fireworks in Navy Yard. By Saturday morning, police arrested 16 people under the age of 18 and two adults.
Fifteen arrests were made in connection with firework-related charges. Two juvenile curfew violators were stopped and released into the custody of their guardians.
Officers say they seized numerous illegal fireworks, including:
- 151 Roman candles
- 39 mini firecrackers
- 9 Fireworks Rockets
- 6 firecrackers
- 6 packs of Bang Snaps
- 7 additional packs of miscellaneous fireworks
There were also smaller groups of juveniles engaged in unlawful activity in the area of New Jersey Ave and M Street Saturday evening, according to police. Officers arrested five more juveniles for fireworks discharge.
The use of all fireworks that launch and explode is illegal in the district, D.C. police said. Additional officers will be present in the community throughout the weekend.
“We’ve also heard the concerns of our community regarding illegal fireworks,” D.C. police chief Pamela Smith said. “In addition to DC Fire and EMS conducting their investigations regarding illegal fireworks this year, we will assign two patrol officers to each district to solely respond to fireworks calls or responses.”
Medical leaders say illegal fireworks could lead to severe or lifelong injuries. Out of 14,700 people who were treated for firework injuries in 2024, 11 of those people died.
Every year without fail, [I] see severe burns, mangled hands and arms,” Dr. Taryn Travis, a burn surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said. “We’re talking about amputations, missing digits. And the other things that people don’t think about: vision impairments and hearing impairments.”
Burn experts suggest having a fire extinguisher and a bucket of water nearby if you choose to use legal fireworks in the district.
“If you can at all, find it in yourself to just put the fireworks back down and go see a safe show, we would love for you to do that,” Travis said. “That said, we know that some people won’t make that choice, and there are ways to reduce your risk.”
Travis says one adult should be in charge of lighting a firework and cannot be drunk or distracted. When lighting one, they should light it with a long lighter or a long match so they’re not too close to the fireworks.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
