Police Swarm Charlotte Streets During 4th Of July Festivities

Police swarmed the streets of Uptown Charlotte Saturday night for the 4th of July festivities.

Multiple officers were standing guard on nearly every street corner. Many were armed with gas masks and pellet guns. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department would not release the specific numbers of officers, but said they were saturating Tryon Street.

The officer's main focus was on crowd control. "Keeping them dispersed, keeping them moving. And just letting them know if they do break the law, there will be consequences and they will go to jail," said Officer Jean Wassenaar.

As of 11 p.m., police arrested four people on misdemeanor charges.

One tourist even approached our Eyewitness News crew, asking about the police presence.

"Looks like its gonna be safe tonight. There's a lot of police around," said Todd May of Huntsville, Alabama.

Police have increased their presence on Independence Day in Uptown, after a riot in 2005 when fireworks were thrown into crowds.