Police use social media to help bust illegal car meetup in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA - Police in Philadelphia busted a car meetup early Monday morning after they were tipped off by participants live-streaming the chaos on social media.
Inspector D.F. Pace told reporters gathered near the 1000 block of Sandmire Street that police responded to the area after hearing about the car meetup.
"Philadelphia police do monitor social media," Pace said. "We were able to identify the location and converge on the area."
Two people were arrested and others were given tickets, Pace said. Police briefly pursued some fleeing vehicles but suspended the chase when it became unsafe.
Police used their aviation unit to follow one car that was traveling at a "tremendously high rate of speed" into New Jersey, where the pursuit was later suspended.
Officers collected information during their brief pursuits, including license plate numbers and car models, that investigators hope will help track down the cars.
"We expect additional citations or possibly arrests to be effectuated in the future based on this evening's events," Pace said.