Knife fight between Flyers fans at bowling alley

A knife fight erupted yesterday when two groups of Flyers fans confronted one another in a parking lot behind the bowling alley on Roosevelt Boulevard between Rhawn Street and Holme Avenue.

One of the men, who was returning with friends by bus from the Flyers/Devils game in Newark, called his brother, an 18th District police officer, in advance to tell him the group was expecting trouble. When the bus pulled into the parking lot after midnight, the second group of fans tried to board it, sparking arguments and physical confrontations between the groups.

The police officer, who was off duty, was able to detain one of the men, but two of the men (the officer’s brother, and another man from the bus) were stabbed in the chest and back. Both men are in critical condition at Aria Health-Torresdale, and no other arrests have been made.

It is unclear how the incident began, and why the men on the bus were expecting trouble.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal