A massive country music festival in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, dubbed the “Redneck Rave,” led to 48 charges, including assault and strangulation.
The country party held June 16-20 promised attendees “mud, music and mayhem,” and was organized by a country rapper known as “Justin Time,” according to the Lexington Herald Leader. (RELATED: The Redneck Guide To Emergency Preparedness)
Edmonson County Sheriff Shane Doyle told the Herald Leader that during the event, the department was responsible for policing “twice its usual population.” The department took to Facebook last week to warn residents about the mass crowds and discussed efforts of containment.
After days of rowdy activity at the event, a press release from the Edmonson County sheriff’s office said that “48 individuals were charged with various offenses, including 14 arrested,” according to The Edmonson Voice. The statement also reportedly said there were 30 charges involving drugs or alcohol-related offenses, 63 traffic-related offenses charged, two arrest warrants were served on a fugitive and six felony charges that included assault, strangulation and wanton endangerment, according to the outlet.
Those arrested were from several states, including Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee, the Herald Leader reported.
The charges also included the choking of a woman and the slitting of a man’s throat.
Doyle told the Herald Leader that one attendee “had his throat slit by a supposed friend.” The pair was intoxicated before getting into a fight when the throat-slitting occurred, according to the outlet.
The suspect then fled the scene, and Doyle confirmed that law enforcement had not found the suspect yet Tuesday.
In another altercation, 29-year-old Missouri resident Lancer Hodges was accused of strangling a woman with whom he argued over a blanket. The victim told police he had choked her “until she was losing consciousness” and couldn’t breathe.
Hodges was charged with strangulation, wanton endangerment and fourth-degree domestic violent assault, according to court records.
Doyle told the Herald Leader that there were also plenty of accidental injuries, including an impalement, lacerations and broken bones.
On their Facebook page, ‘Redneck Rave’ disputes law enforcement claims, stating that “only one arrest was made at the actual rave.”
Last year, ‘Redneck Rave’ was held twice in Edmonson County and at least one person died. Regarding the injuries sustained this past weekend, Doyle told the Daily Caller that everyone that sustained injuries during the event has recovered or is currently recovering and that no fatalities occurred.
After deeming the event successful and calling it, “the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Time posted on his personal Instagram account that another event was scheduled for this October.
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Regarding how they’ll prepare or prevent this from happening, Doyle told the Daily Caller that he can’t say that anything will change before October.
“Currently there are no restrictions that our local government has enacted to affect this event or any others like it,” Doyle said. He continued to say that those decisions were up to the legislative body in Edmonson and the County Fiscal Court.
Doyle wants visitors to know that while they’re welcome in Edmonson to enjoy the scenery and national parks, his department expects everyone to behave lawfully and leave the county “better than they found it.”
“If people come to Edmonson County and then break the law, we will deal with it swiftly and harshly,” Doyle said. “Criminally charging people is the last thing we want to do, but if forced we will do it.”
He hopes that the venue and the event will continue to work to “better the security and safety of the patrons that come in.”
