D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will be imposing a new curfew in response to an incident involving a large group of teens who caused a disturbance in Navy Yard Friday night.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a limited juvenile curfew Saturday in response to a teen melee that took place Friday night in the Navy Yard neighborhood.

“I find it necessary to ensure that the police can disperse large groups of teens,” Bowser told WTOP in an exclusive interview after her announcement.

The limited youth curfew will begin at 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 until 6 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, and every night after, ending on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 11:59 p.m. The curfew is for youths under 18 years old, Bowser said in a news release.

“What it allows is the chief of police to notice and, if necessary, have a curfew zone established in the District of Columbia as needed,” she said.

Bowser has called on the D.C. Council to enact a permanent curfew.

Teens arrested after engaging in melee in Navy Yard

Police said they made several arrests of the teens Friday as they blocked an area around M and 1st streets.

At one point, a large group was seen sprinting away from law enforcement officials.

It started around 7:30 p.m. when officers “observed several groups of juveniles converge on the park area,” according to a news release. They said that it was adjacent to an entrance to the Navy Yard Metro Center.

Shortly after 8 p.m., the group “increased in size,” according to police but was “peaceful” at the time. Later, the group broke out into fights and disrupted the flow of traffic, police said.

People in the group “repeatedly” ignored instructions to remain on sidewalks, police said.

Officers made five arrests from the group during the incident, including 18-year-old Kaeden Brown of Accokeek, Maryland, for possession of a prohibited weapon, a 16-year-old male of Southwest, D.C., for public consumption of marijuana, a 15-year-old male of Southeast, D.C., for affray, and two 14-year-old males of Southeast D.C., for failure to obey and resisting arrest. 

Police at the time urged residents to avoid the area for a period of about two hours, with the crowd cleared around 11 p.m.

Additional authorities were called in, including the National Guard, and road blocks were temporarily put in place.

Police have not yet detailed exactly how many people were arrested, or whether any possible charges were filed over the incident.

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said in a statement that there will be an increased police presence around Navy Yard.

This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.

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