SAN JOSE — Police declared an unlawful assembly for the second time amid World Cup festivities in downtown San Jose, after revelers packed an intersection Sunday night and disrupted traffic while exhibiting “unruly” behavior including throwing bottles at police officers, authorities said.
But there was little fanfare after the 11:24 p.m. dispersal order was issued, as the crowd that grew to as large as 300 people at San Fernando and Second streets swiftly broke up, according to San Jose police, who added that “no additional enforcement” was deployed.
That was in stark contrast to the unlawful assembly declaration by San Jose police the night of June 30 following Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador, in the wake of a massively attended watch party centered on San Pedro Square. Two men were stabbed as the crowds scattered, and there were several accounts of violence between fans, as well as police tackling and pepper-spraying people in a chaotic scene.
The violence that night helped drive a decision to hold ticketed, but still free, watch parties at Discovery Meadow and the SAP Center for the highly anticipated Mexico-England matchup, giving fans significantly more space to gather.
Long after the crowds left, around 1:48 a.m. Monday, police were called about a half-mile away to First and San Salvador streets for a report of gunfire. Police say responding officers found and detained a man suspected in a shooting, and recovered a gun, but the victim was not there.
Around the same time, police got a report that a man suffering from gunshot injuries was dropped off at a hospital and they linked him to the shooting. The injured man is expected to survive.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.