Canton police are investigating after a woman reported being assaulted by multiple people and shots being fired during a disturbance at a city park Tuesday night.
Officers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. May 19 to meet with the victim, who had visible injuries to her face and head following the reported incident at Martindale Park on Martindale Road NE, according to a police investigative report.
The woman told officers she had been invited to a party at the park and arrived with approximately 20 to 30 adults who had been drinking alcohol. She said a fight broke out among a group of women shortly after she arrived, and that several people began attacking her after a crowd formed around the altercation.
According to the report, the woman told police she was punched, pushed, kicked and dragged to the ground during the assault. She also reported using pepper spray during the confrontation.
As the disturbance continued, the woman told officers multiple individuals displayed firearms, pointed them toward the crowd and made threats. She reported hearing gunshots and said several rounds were fired both toward her and into the air as people fled the area in vehicles.
Police documented visible injuries and photographed the victim at the scene. Officers also searched the park and recovered pepper spray, drinks, food items and a speaker beneath a pavilion.
No shell casings were located, according to the report.
Police said the individuals involved are believed to know one another through mutual acquaintances and Facebook connections.
No charges had been filed as of the initial report, with investigators indicating additional investigation is needed.
