WAVY.com

Police: Busch Gardens visitor stabbed during fight

JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — James City County police are investigating a stabbing at Busch Gardens.

An employee called police just before 10 p.m. to report a fight in the France area of the park. By the time officers arrived on the scene, the individuals involved in the fight had already left. However, police were able to gather several pieces of evidence while searching the area.


During the investigation, an 18-year-old approached the officers and told them he had been stabbed. Police determined the individual was involved in the altercation. He was transported to Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg with non life-threatening injuries.

WAVY viewer Andrew Eger was at Busch Gardens and captured video of police arriving on scene just after 10 p.m.

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WAVY reached back out to James City County Police Monday to ask if there had been any arrests or other updates in the case. A spokesperson said they did not have any new information that could be shared publicly. That said, they asked anyone at the park that night to share footage of the fight and stabbing incident, photos, details, names, suspect descriptions, or other tips that they may have. Considering how many people were at Busch Gardens Saturday night, they are encouraging witnesses to report information to police.

The Chief of Police issued this statement:

Our Department has a longstanding partnership with Busch Gardens, and we remain committed to working closely with park officials to ensure the safety and security of all visitors. We will continue to provide the necessary support to address any security concerns that may arise.

Police Chief Mark Jamison

This comes just one week after police were called to the park for a “verbal dispute/altercation” between two large groups, primarily involving juveniles and young adults on the second night of Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact police at 757-253-1800 or the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Tips can also be submitted online at p3tips.com.