Houston Police Chief said he met with rapper Travis Scott to voice safety concerns prior to concert

Houston's Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters Monday that he met with rapper Travis Scott ahead of the Friday night concert wherein eight people died during a crowd surge.

According to the Associated Press, the police chief met with the entertainer at the Astroworld Festival, calling their exchange "brief and respectful."

"I met with Travis Scott and his head of security for a few moments last Friday prior to the main event," Finner said in a written statement.

"I expressed my concerns regarding public safety and that in my 31 years of law enforcement experience I have never seen a time with more challenges facing citizens, including a pandemic and nationwide social tension," Finner stated. "I asked Travis Scott and his team to work with [Houston Police Department] for all events over the weekend and to be mindful of his team's social media messaging on any unscheduled events."

While Scott was performing, the crows surged, and eight people died.

Chief Finner has confirmed a criminal investigation is underway to determine what caused the surge that resulted in the eight deaths, as well as allegations that someone was stuck with a needle.

Videos have gone viral across multiple social media platforms showing concertgoers performing CPR on numerous people, as well as fans apparently attempting to get concert personnel to send medics and stop the concert. 

According to Fox News, Scott was arrested in 2017 for encouraging fans to bypass security and ignore safety protocols at other concert venues. However, the AP notes that none of his previous shows resulted in the loss of life. 

Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Scott and his security team following the event.