Brawl breaks out during Macomb Co. haunted hayride - Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

A group of friends claim they were attacked by costumed employees during a recent trip to a haunted hayride in Macomb County.

But employees say they didn't start the melee that involved as many as 30 people according to witnesses.

The alleged brawl happened Friday night at the Slaughtered at Sundown hayride in Armada where the group went to celebrate a friend's birthday.

"We each had a few drinks and what not, you know, clowning, having a good 'ole time," said Jose Perez, who claims to be one of the victims.

"A group of people came out, they had been drinking heavily," said Nicholas Fix, who works for the haunted house and hayride. "They had been a problem on the trail from the beginning."

Fix said the group was informed before the ride not to throw hay or touch the actors.

"We were throwing hay," said Perez. He says one of the workers didn't take kindly to having hay thrown at him. He claims the worker pulled his brother off a moving tractor and began to throw punches. Fix says that's when the group of friends joined the brawl and chaos ensued. "It was out of control," said Fix. "We asked them, we begged them to stop doing what they were doing."

When the dust settled, several people suffered injuries that required a trip to the hospital.

"Their version (of the story) would be that we were probably just drunk a**holes and they felt like they needed to calm us down," said Perez.

Fix says his workers were only defending themselves. "It was something that could have been prevented if they would have just followed the rules."

Police say the aware of the incident and are investigating.