NEED TO KNOW
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A fight broke out between two families after disembarking the Carnival Conquest cruise ship in Miami
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Police called the incident a “mutual combatant” situation and no charges were filed by those involved
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Carnival banned 16 guests from future cruises and praised law enforcement for their swift response
A large brawl broke out between two families after disembarking a cruise ship in Miami earlier this week, police confirm to PEOPLE.
The guests had just gotten off a Carnival cruise when the fight broke out on Monday, June 22. A spokesperson for the cruise line told PEOPLE the passengers were in the debarkation area of the port, which is under the authority of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, when the incident occurred.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) says they responded to the fight between the families, noting that “the incident was deemed a mutual combatant incident.”
Carnival Cruise Ship brawl
Credit: Jalisa Frederick via Storyful
Credit: Jalisa Frederick via Storyful
The MDSO added in a statement shared with PEOPLE: “It was documented, though none of the parties wanted to press charges against each other.”
Footage captured of the brawl shows a large group of cruisers shouting at one another in a chaotic scene. The guests appear to be waiting in a line with their luggage.
The situation escalated dramatically when a woman in a black dress suddenly lunges at another passenger in all pink waiting in line behind her. As the two women throw repeated punches at each other, a man in a navy blue shirt then appears to push the woman in pink and another cruiser wearing a yellow dress gets involved.
Other passengers watch the scene in shock as police officers intervene and struggle to pull the guests involved in the fight off of each other.
Credit: Jalisa Frederick via Storyful (2)
“We are appreciative of law enforcement’s swift response and handling of the matter,” the Carnival spokesperson said in a statement. “We do not tolerate such behavior, and 16 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail List.”
The cruise line confirmed the incident happened between guests who had just disembarked the Carnival Conquest ship.
According to CruiseMapper, the ship departed from Miami on Friday, June 19, and stopped at Celebration Key, Carnival’s private island in the Bahamas, on June 21. The three-night cruise returned to Miami on Monday, June 22.
Read the original article on People