Sacramento police officers working security at Aftershock Festival received reports of an assault at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, and by that same night had identified and cited a suspect for sexual battery. The festival, held at Discovery Park, had been running since October 1 and was scheduled to continue through Sunday.
According to FOX40, the Sacramento Police Department received reports of an assault while its officers were already working inside the festival grounds. Police investigated the incident, and per the outlet's reporting on police information, officers identified and found the suspect, who was then cited for sexual battery. The department has not released additional details at this time, and the station describes the story as still developing.
Aftershock had promoted a slate of safety measures ahead of the four-day run. The festival's health and safety page noted that “there will be elevated security measures in place for Aftershock” and that “all entrances will have metal detectors,” while also pointing attendees to an on-site medical assistance location inside the grounds.
Festival Encouraged Reporting Uncomfortable Encounters
Organizers had also built in avenues for attendees to flag concerns before anything escalated. The festival's materials state that “employees, contractors, vendors, artists, and guests are encouraged to report any interaction that makes them uncomfortable in any way.” The same page separately warned concertgoers about the physical risks of crowd surfing, noting that “surfers can be groped, hit, or dropped.”
The partial text of California Penal Code section 243.4 available from the California Legislative Information site describes touching another person's intimate part while that person is unlawfully restrained, against their will, for purposes of sexual arousal, gratification, or abuse. That excerpt is incomplete and does not lay out the statute's full language or potential penalties, and it is not clear under which subdivision, if any, this citation was issued.
What Remains Unknown
Sacramento police have not released the suspect's identity, nor any information about the person reportedly assaulted. The department also has not provided a direct public statement beyond what was relayed to FOX40, and no incident number has been made public. As the outlet notes, this remains a developing story.
