Palin's Family Said to be Involved in Brawl in Alaska

Anchorage: It began as a birthday party that drew local snowmobile racers, construction workers and other longtime Alaskans last Saturday night. It turned into a brawl with members of Sarah Palin's family in the center of it, according to witnesses at the party.

The police are still investigating, and the Palin family is not commenting. But the episode is already adding some more atmospheric notes to the background noise surrounding Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate and the former governor of Alaska.

Guests said the event began as a birthday party for twin brothers Matt and Marc McKenna, the latter a well-known snowmobile racer. Most of the party was outside with dancing and a live band. But then things appeared to get out of hand.

According to a statement from the Anchorage Police Department, officers responded to "a report of a verbal and physical altercation taking place between multiple subjects outside of a residence located on the 900 block of Harbor Circle."

The report said that a preliminary investigation by the police revealed that "a fight had broken out between multiple subjects outside of the residence." It said none of the people involved wanted to press charges, no arrests were made and an investigation was continuing. The police chief, Mark Mew, said Friday that even if the victims did not decide to press charges, the municipal prosecutor could still file charges.

The police statement concluded: "Alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the incident. Some of the Palin family members were in attendance at the party."

But several witnesses said the trouble started when Track Palin, Palin's son, confronted a former boyfriend of his sister Willow and a fight broke out. Before long Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, who also races snowmobiles and was also celebrating a birthday (his 50th), was said to have gotten involved in the fighting.

Later, according to witnesses, Bristol Palin, one of Sarah Palin's daughters, threw several punches at the owner of the house where the party was being held.

The result was a brawl said to involve about 20 people. In the end, the Palin family was ordered by the homeowner to leave, witnesses said.


Witnesses said the Palin family members climbed back into their stretch Hummer limousine. Before they left, however, Sarah Palin unleashed several rounds of profanity and Track Palin made a vulgar gesture toward the crowd, according to one participant at the party who declined to be identified out of fear of reprisals. (One participant, Eric Thompson, an employee of the firm whose office manager hosted the party, said he was fired after speaking to ABC News.)

The Palin family was not available for comment. But Sarah Palin, in a Facebook post Sunday, said that she had been traveling "yesterday" - the day the party was held - so she wanted to post a birthday greeting to her husband one day late. Palin made no mention of the party.

"It was a really nice, mellow party," Thompson said in an interview Thursday night. "Then it turned into The Jerry Springer Show."