RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- About 200 to 300 people joined a melee that began inside a Raleigh mall and spilled outside the shopping center during the fight, authorities said Sunday.

Raleigh Police Department spokesman Jim Sughrue said the gang-related brawl began inside Triangle Town Center Mall on Saturday night about an hour before closing. Off-duty officers working at the mall requested assistance, and authorities from the Wake County Sheriff's Office and the N.C. Highway Patrol also responded.

Sughrue said a 15-year-old was stabbed during the incident. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A police officer was also injured with a "significant" cut to his knee that he suffered during a chase. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and is expected to recover, Sughrue said.

Authorities said the fracas was "gang-related," though Sughrue declined to say why authorities reached that conclusion. Raleigh police have previously said examples of gang-related activity include actions that would establish a gang's territory, suppress another gang or get revenge.

Seven people were arrested: Darryl Anthony Bobbitt, 18; Tyrell Eugene Brantley, 18; Christopher James Gamble, 17; Laquavis Oneal Jordan, 16; Javonnie Nicholson, 16; and Ricky Ladd Williams, 16. The seventh person was a 15-year-old who authorities would not name.

The six older teenagers were each charged with inciting a riot. Some of them also face other charges, including second-degree trespassing, disorderly conduct, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, assault on a law enforcement officer, and engaging in an affray.

Gamble has been charged in the stabbing.

It took about an hour for authorities to fully restore order.

Jennifer Jones, the mall's marketing director, said authorities decided to close the mall early. She said the mall was expected to operate during normal hours Sunday and that officials there are working to identify ways to prevent such an incident from happening again.

"Our main concern is the safety of our shoppers and our retailers," Jones said.

Jones declined to say if the mall had security camera footage of the incident. Sughrue said authorities are still investigating.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)