Union High School had just completed the last game of their American Football season without a win and congregated to perform the traditional tribal dance to cheer up the fans and themselves up.
Having Polynesian players and supporters within the teams network, they thought it would be a nice gift to their supporters and an example of self-pride to perform the tradition despite a winless season.
It was the first time the local police had witnessed the Maori challenge performed that has been present for over 130 years and reacted with the use of pepper-spray and batons to innocent players and spectators.
Dozens of fans were assaulted including a large majority from a single family, some as young as 4-years-old, who had travelled over 200kms to watch the match.
An investigation by the police of Roosevelt themselves cleared their own officers of misconduct that occurred on the night of October 20 saying their actions were suitable because they feared a riot was imminent.
Utah branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said the police report was "anything but objective" in a letter sent last week to the Duchesne County Attorney Stephen Foote.
The ACLU were concerned that the judgment to pepper-spray in the course of a cultural ritual may have violated the spectators' constitutional rights, stated by interim director Joseph Cohn.
He continued to note that the authorities had failed to consider a video of the HAKA or statements from 15 witnesses who expressed they did not feel endangered by the performance.
The HAKA is growing to become a popular tradition in the US in recent times as the number of New Zealand locals playing American Football is on a rapid increase.
The police officer at the center of the controversial physical action and who deployed the pepper-spray, Luke Stradinger, has apologised in the police report for causing "discomfort" to innocent bystanders.
Stranger said he was unfamiliar with the HAKA and was concerned because the group was blocking the only exit from the field for the teams.
"I have never seen such an event, or even heard of such a thing," Stradinger said.
Police officer Wade Butterfield, who used a baton to break up the group, said: "I have seen a riot firsthand and know how dangerous they can be in an instant,"
"No more force was used than was necessary to defuse the situation."
Roosevelt police said officers will be given additional training in cultural diversity and customs.
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