Black Friday Ruckus & Melee, But No Deaths

It's been a quiet Black Friday. No trampling deaths, just a ruckus in California: Wal-Mart in Upland temporarily closes after 'fighting inside'.

Black Friday brought out the rowdy side of Wal-Mart shoppers early this morning when the Upland location shut down for more than two hours after customers caused a ruckus inside.

Store management called Upland police at 2:44 a.m., asking for assistance in dealing with customers who were "fighting inside," said Lt. Jim Etchason.

About 300 people were in the store, which had remained open all night as a security precaution after a Wal-Mart worker on Long Island, N.Y., was trampled to death last year on Black Friday when a surging, impatient crowd rushed the doors after the store opened.

But in Upland, employees said, customers began tearing into merchandise that had been shrink-wrapped and were supposed to be opened at 5 a.m.

"This was without a doubt the worst I've ever seen it," said one employee, who said she has worked a dozen Black Fridays.

"They wouldn't let people line up," she added. "They were belligerent. They just bombarded the store."

Oh, and a melee in Connecticut: At Toys R Us, Police Step in.

Outside Manchester's Toys R Us just before midnight, a large crowd tried to jump the line and rush the door at the scheduled opening. When a police officer told them to stop, they taunted him.

Eventually, 20 officers from Manchester, South Windsor, East Hartford and the state police managed the line. Police made sure managers did not open the Toys R Us store until the crowd formed into orderly lines -- at 12:55 a.m.