The National Police have arrested seven men and two women on suspicion of involvement in a mass fight, following a fight sparked by the theft of a mobile phone on Wednesday in the Calle Aragón area of Palma, where at least three people were injured.
The riot began following an argument when one group accused another of stealing a mobile phone, leading to a fight in which a broken glass bottle was used as a weapon, the Balearic Islands Police Headquarters reported in a statement.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, near Calle Aragón, where several patrols from the Citizen Assistance Unit responded to a report of a man bleeding heavily on the street.
The officers found the victim, who had sustained several serious injuries; he was treated by the emergency services and taken to hospital.
Before he was taken to hospital, he and several companions told the police that a large group of people had approached them in Son Costa Park because they wanted to search their bags to confirm that a mobile phone had not been stolen from them.
A confrontation ensued and, during the fight, one of the members of the other group – the one who wanted to search the bags – broke a glass bottle and attacked the victim, causing several cuts.
Another National Police patrol managed to locate the other group nearby; one of its members also had wounds requiring stitches, and another had a severe bruise on his nose and was bleeding from his elbow.
The group explained that the other people had allegedly stolen their mobile phone, which is why the fight had started. Once various formalities had been completed, the officers arrested seven men and two women as the alleged perpetrators of a public brawl. The investigation remains open by officers from the Western District and further arrests cannot be ruled out.