Gang Fight Prompted Early Closure of Umatilla County Fair Saturday Night

Many fair patrons were wondering why the Umatilla County Fair closed early last Saturday night.

According to reports released today, the reason for the closure about 30 minutes before the fair was scheduled to end Saturday was due to gang-related violence. Umatilla County Undersheriff Terry Rowan said four groups of people arrived at the fair late in the evening, apparently with the intention of fighting.

Authorities report two people were arrested; one was carrying concealed brass knuckles. The last time the fair closed early, said officials, was five years ago due to bad weather. The fair was scheduled to end at midnight Saturday; the closure was at about 11:30 p.m. No other official information, including names of those arrested, were released by authorities - nor did they release why the fights began.