Both brawls on Saturday night at the Page Valley Fair still under investigation
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Aug. 23 — The Luray Police Department (LPD) filed multiple charges against a Shenandoah man following a fracas at the Page Valley Fair on Saturday night during the demolition derby.
Following the second of two fights in the grandstand arena on Saturday evening, Calvin Turner, 50, of Shenandoah, Va. was charged with two Class 6 felonies for assaulting a law enforcement officer, a Class 3 felony for malicious wounding, a Class 1 misdemeanor for resisting arrest, and another Class 1 misdemeanor for disorderly conduct.
Both fights remain under investigation as police review multiple videos recorded during the incidents, and additional charges may be pending among others involved, according to Luray Police Chief Bow Cook.
Luray police officers, already on the scene at the fairgrounds on Collins Avenue, first responded to a call at 10:06 p.m. involving two individuals fighting in the grandstand arena where the demolition derby was taking place, according to a statement released by the LPD.
The first fight was initiated when a spectator ran out into the arena from the pit area (light blue-ish shirt with white lettering below – as yet, unidentified by police) and punched a driver through an open window while the driver was sitting in his car. Just moments later, the driver (orange-ish jumpsuit below – as yet, unidentified by police) then jumped on top of his car and leaped onto the man who hit him.
The fracas was quickly broken up by a Luray Police officer, who was quickly joined by volunteers from the Luray and Stanley Fire Departments, as well as Page County EMS staff and deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’d like to thank the Luray and Stanley Fire Departments, as well as Page County EMS and the Page County Sheriff’s Office, for assisting and dispersing the group during the fight,” Chief Cook told PVN.
Police have issued a no trespassing notice for the fairgrounds to several individuals involved in the first fight. The incident remains under investigation, but no charges have been placed at this time.
The LPD received a second call at 10:16 p.m. about “a separate unrelated fight” occurring at the same location on the fairgrounds, in which “a male assaulted another male.” Luray officers and deputies with the Sheriff’s Office responded and later took Turner into custody. The second incident also remains active and is still under investigation, with potentially additional charges pending on other individuals involved.
During the course of the two fights, local law enforcement used both tasers and mace to subdue the subjects involved. More than one officer suffered minor injuries, but none were seriously injured, according to Chief Cook.
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