UPDATED 11:15 a.m. Des Moines Police Sergeant Paul Parizek tells WHO Radio News that the downtown fight started with just two kids who were planning to fight, and the other teenagers planned to watch, but once the fighting started, Parizek says, the crowd got agitated and the fight grew.
LISTEN: Des Moines Police Sergeant Paul Parizek talks with WHO Radio News at Noon about the fight.
DES MOINES, Iowa - Two large fights involving Des Moines Public School students are being investigated.
Police were tipped in advance that there might be a fight after school in the downtown area near the DART central bus station. Officers were ready, and say a large number of students arrived, more than 100, and a large fight started.
Several kids were arrested downtown.
A second big fight was reported at the McDonald's parking lot at 601 University Avenue. Police say an innocent bystander, a 55-year-old man was assaulted and likely has a broken nose and deep head wound. The kids in the second fight were loosely the same group that were involved in the downtown fight.
Detectives are using surveillance video to try and identify the man's attackers.
Maps of the two locations below.