Police Nab Alleged Beer “Gallon Smashers”

Arrests made as police say they see a rash of “gallon smashing”

Police in northeastern Pennsylvania say tips on social media have helped them nab teenagers involved in a spree of “gallon smashing” at stores.

The Times-Tribune of Scranton reports Dickson City has seen five cases of the prank in the past month, most recently at a Wegmans store early Sunday morning. It's part of an online trend in which people carrying gallons of milk or other beverages throw themselves to the floor and smash the products.

Police Chief William Bilinski says Sunday's incident involved males smashing beer bottles.

Bilinski says police have identified the participants in that incident after posting videos and photos on the department's Facebook page. The names of the teens were not released.

"We're going to speak to the store regarding prosecution and restitution," Borough Police Chief William Bilinski told the Times-Tribune.

Police say they've also received tips on four similar incidents at Target earlier this month.

The “gallon-smashing” trend has spread around the area. Last week, police in Wildwood, N.J. told NBC10 about a recent rash of incidents at local stores.

Search "gallon smashing" on YouTube and you will find more than 38,000 videos.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us