Punk makes chilling threat to police during 4th of July mayhem at Newport Beach

A young punk filmed himself threatening to shoot police during the chaotic Newport Beach mayhem on the Fourth of July.

A clip circulating widely on social media showed the unknown goon mimicking firing a gun and saying, “When I come back tomorrow Ima lay a button all through this b****,” implying he would come back to finish the job.

In the chaotic video, the teenager is seen calmly speaking to the camera as the chaos behind him ensues. Posted to TikTok, the footage has since garnered nearly 250,000 views and continues to be widely shared across social media platforms.

More than 400 people were arrested after Fourth of July celebrations in Newport Beach descended into chaos, with authorities later pointing to an alleged social media-fueled “TikTok Takeover” as a catalyst.

Most of those taken into custody were teens and minors during a chaotic 36-hour stretch after police swarmed the Newport Peninsula around 7 p.m. Saturday amid reports of massive brawls and illegal fireworks lighting up the beach.

Other videos captured the mayhem as people lugged away broken street signs and looted a nearby Pavilions grocery store on West Balboa Boulevard, while mounted officers charged through the crowds in an effort to restore order.

City leaders had tried to get ahead of the expected Fourth of July chaos by launching a “Not in Newport” campaign, warning visitors there would be zero tolerance for public drunkenness, illegal fireworks or other rowdy behavior.

Authorities said many of those arrested were either underage or from outside Newport Beach. One officer also suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being struck by a mortar-style firework tossed into the crowd.

In a similar move, the Huntington Beach Police Department on Thursday warned residents about another illegal gathering being promoted online, saying a flyer is circulating advertising a future “takeover” event. 

The flyer shared by the department offered few details beyond branding the event as the “end of the summer beach bash.”