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By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 12:46 p.m. EDT, Apr 27, 2009
Kent Police Chief James Peach said no excessive force was used to respond to the Saturday night riot that resulted from a block party on East College Street near the Kent State University campus.
In a news conference this morning, the chief told reporters that city officers used three types of ammunition in an effort to disperse a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people and regain control of the street.
''In the history of this event, they [other College Fests] have been nothing of this magnitude,'' Peach said.
College Fest typically has been held a week later, closer to finals week.
Peach said the crowd became out of control after the arrest of a woman. People started throwing beer bottles and other objects at the officers.
There were 120 to 130 officers on the scene throughout the night.
The officers used marble-sized pepper balls and stinger grenades, which contain low levels of CS gas (a type of tear gas) and baton rounds that sound like a shotgun when discharged.
Peach said the nonlethal ammunition is commonly used in riot-control situations.
Kent police, Kent State police, Metro SWAT and other area law enforcement officers responded to the scene.
Of the 50 people arrested, 39 were charged with failure to disperse, a fourth-degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.
Other charges included underage drinking, disorderly conduct, falsification and obstruction of justice.
Other block parties are planned for this weekend around Kent State. Peach said officers will be better prepared and will follow the same type of plan if police response is necessary.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.
Kent Police Chief James Peach said no excessive force was used to respond to the Saturday night riot that resulted from a block party on East College Street near the Kent State University campus.
In a news conference this morning, the chief told reporters that city officers used three types of ammunition in an effort to disperse a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people and regain control of the street.
''In the history of this event, they [other College Fests] have been nothing of this magnitude,'' Peach said.
College Fest typically has been held a week later, closer to finals week.
Peach said the crowd became out of control after the arrest of a woman. People started throwing beer bottles and other objects at the officers.
There were 120 to 130 officers on the scene throughout the night.
The officers used marble-sized pepper balls and stinger grenades, which contain low levels of CS gas (a type of tear gas) and baton rounds that sound like a shotgun when discharged.
Peach said the nonlethal ammunition is commonly used in riot-control situations.
Kent police, Kent State police, Metro SWAT and other area law enforcement officers responded to the scene.
Of the 50 people arrested, 39 were charged with failure to disperse, a fourth-degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.
Other charges included underage drinking, disorderly conduct, falsification and obstruction of justice.
Other block parties are planned for this weekend around Kent State. Peach said officers will be better prepared and will follow the same type of plan if police response is necessary.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, Oh
Posted 01:05 PM, 04/27/2009
I hope all the kids Thank this drunk girl making the party a smash.
Akron, Oh
Posted 01:13 PM, 04/27/2009
None of these drunks even care about the girl in question. She is just an excuse for the cause of the riot. Kent State idiots.....way to go losers!
akron, oh
Posted 01:15 PM, 04/27/2009
Even if the crowd thought that the police mishandled the arrest of that girl... that is no excuse to riot.
Posted 01:19 PM, 04/27/2009
like i've always said: it's not a party if you don't get tear-gassed!
Posted 01:23 PM, 04/27/2009
fuhk the po po
wow where do we start
First of all have some respect for law enforcement and they wouldn't throw your punk @$$ on the ground next time your selling drugs buddy.
Second, I doubt ANY of these police officers are drunk or acting tough, rather protecting the city of Kent and trying to get these idiots to calm down.
Third, do you realize how ignorant you sound for wishing for bad things to happen to a person who you don't know and has done NOTHING to you.
This is why alcohol should be illegal and mary jane should be legal.. I bet the only fire these kids woulda been starting was to light up the bong.
Posted 01:24 PM, 04/27/2009
ONE
Akron, OH
Posted 01:38 PM, 04/27/2009
Marc, I think you're being naive if you don't think a few of Kent's finest aren't susceptible to abuse of authority. Not all of them, just a few.
That said, the majority of the blame is with the drunks.
Glad this was not at Akron U. Hopefully it will rain next weekend.
Canton, OH
Posted 01:46 PM, 04/27/2009
"People, I just wanna say,you know, can we all get along ??? Can we get along ???". .with apologies to Rodney King. . .
Orrville, Oh
Posted 01:48 PM, 04/27/2009
Reality demands police use live ammunition to disperse and arrest arsonists starting fire on Public Street!
Akron, Oh
Posted 02:02 PM, 04/27/2009
Break it down with simple math:
1 drunken loudmouth KSU girl
3,000 loudmouth drunken KSU tards
x ignoring orders from police
= a justifiable beatdown from Kent's finest.
Posted 02:09 PM, 04/27/2009
Anyone is susceptible to abuse.
But that isin't the case in this situation.
Orrville, Oh
Posted 02:11 PM, 04/27/2009
Lack of excessive force didn’t stop arsonists from starting fire on Public Street!
No excessive force set president for arsonists to set fires in public streets and thumb their nose at police, fire fighters, and Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and America’s grandchildren’s children accountable to pay police and fire fighters wages, pensions, and health care with money derived from wages or independent business profit!
Tallmadge, Oh
Posted 02:11 PM, 04/27/2009
Good Job Kent Police - These kids should be ashamed of themselves...hopefully they will look back on this and be embarassed by their actions!
Akron, OH
Posted 02:14 PM, 04/27/2009
http://www.ohio.com/multimedia/photo_galleries/viewer?galID=43705612&storyID=43705047
Link about is a picture of the fires and debree. Please look at all the beer cans on the street. Have to say "Good job" Kent fire and police departments as well as those called in to assist.
Akron (west), OH
Posted 02:30 PM, 04/27/2009
Drunk college kids are idiots...you can almost equate them to so “thugs”. Police tell them (drunks/thugs) to “behave”…they don’t and get shot/beat-down.
See how that works relatives of thugs…it is not the person, it is the behavior!
I remember at an Akron May Day (’97 ?) on Kathryn Place, kids were burning couches in the street. The AFD arrived to put out the fires. Bottles were thrown so the AFD turned the hose on the trouble-makers. It was great! I was of course, a *little* drunk watching from the other end of the street when a cop put his baton on my shoulder. I turned around and he said, “Go home son”. “Yes sir”…and I ran!
somewhere near you, OH
Posted 02:30 PM, 04/27/2009
Just one more time where the popo's weren't out of line...
Why did the chief bother to report what we already knew, the police NEVER do anything wrong.
Akron, Oh
Posted 02:50 PM, 04/27/2009
KSU students, you flunk, should have to stay another year to get your degree. Hit em where it hurts.
akron, oh
Posted 02:56 PM, 04/27/2009
Don't worry, mommy and daddy"s darling angels will be okay. Kent State knows if they push too hard, parnets will take their money elsewhere.
tallmadge, oh
Posted 03:05 PM, 04/27/2009
My kids think they can deny my authority as well. Right up to the time they get a swat on their rump.
Akron, Oh
Posted 03:19 PM, 04/27/2009
If that is what we can expect of the college kids of Kent... then let their mommys and daddys take their money elsewhere. If they aren't stopped the whole town is going to be burnt to the ground !!!
Kent, Oh
Posted 04:11 PM, 04/27/2009
The students keep blaming this incident on the police and saying they pushed a girl down who was innocently walking up to ask about her friend. I have watched all the videos on youtube several times and NOT ONE of them backs up this story. There is a video showing a girl getting arrested and her friend comes running out into the street, appears to be yelling something to the cops and then the cop runs over and arrests her. That's as close as it gets to their story. Even if it *did* happen as the students say, that is NO excuse for throwing things at police and firefighters, starting bonfires in the street and damaging property. All the videos the students are posting show the police being remarkably restrained and the students acting like criminals.
Posted 04:13 PM, 04/27/2009
BY THE LOOKS OF THAT STREET ON YOU TUBE , ONE COULD MAKE A KILLING ON BEER CAN RECYCLING.IF I WAS THE CITY OF KENT I WOULD FINE EVERYONE ON THAT STREET FOR THE FIRE , AND THE TRASH, AND THE MEHAM
Posted 04:20 PM, 04/27/2009
@ momof5
Agreed, I watched multiple videos on youtube and I don't see any girl getting hit or getting thrown to the ground.. So for everyone who's 'been there'.. are you sure YOU were there?
Go Steelers!!!!!, .
Posted 04:34 PM, 04/27/2009
Marc,
Plus, if it was early evening, wouldn't most people be rocked by then anyway? Their recollection might be altered due to the obvious.
Kent, OH
Posted 05:32 PM, 04/27/2009
@momof5 and Marc
I too watched that Youtube video. That was after the "fact" that the police officer had knocked down another woman who had "tapped the officer on his shoulder and asked why he was arresting her friend". I'm really sure she was that polite about it, about as sure as I am that Kent State will win the BCS National Championship next year.
Funny how no one had video of the first knock down...
Posted 05:36 PM, 04/27/2009
wish i was there........
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 06:02 PM, 04/27/2009
The cops are saying the COPS aren't guilty? I am ABSOLUTELY CLUTCHING MY CHEST in surprise. What else would they have done, got up there on the podium and said how they pummeled a woman for no good reason?
I don't see why we waste time with this. Hopefully somebody had a camera phone... not that it matters. Cops can do whatever they want.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 06:06 PM, 04/27/2009
It's not like we're talking about LA-style store looting here; it's the midwest. We're in Kent, people. If the beaten girl's last name were somebody of Real Influence, I'm sure the KPD would be more apologetic.
rootstown, oh
Posted 08:00 PM, 04/27/2009
another rubber stamp by the cops.they'll probably try to blame that cop's heart attack on the students.
Cuyahoga Falls, Oh
Posted 08:32 PM, 04/27/2009
And...um...Chief Peach...butterucp???
Last time someody stood up to the likes of yourselfness, seems somebody's 'liability insurance' wound up paying the diffrence, eh?
Not exactly "peachy-keeno", if you know what I mean!
CF, oh
Posted 09:30 PM, 04/27/2009
If I was the landlord of these houses I would be checking my property for missing doors,trim and anything else that WAS combustible in their house. Youtube has many videos of drunk kids up on the the roofs. Lucky no one fell on their heads. Nice to hear so much positive support for the Police. Not what I expected.
Posted 10:15 PM, 04/27/2009
Double the tuition and get the hillbilly's out of there.
"Lost lives", your icons rule !
Posted 10:43 PM, 04/27/2009
Disturbing all of it - the whole truth has not come out yet and hopefully will soon?
Posted 11:23 PM, 04/27/2009
connelly
I don't think doubling the tuition is going to do squat. Most of the houses down there are fraternities. Looks like mommy and daddy are paying extra for the "hillbillies".
Kent, OH
Posted 12:17 AM, 04/28/2009
@Toxic nut...that particular Metro SWAT officer was not at the scene. The events of College Street had nothing to do with his heart attack.
Akron, OH
Posted 01:57 AM, 04/28/2009
Way to go, drunken Kent undergrads! Thanks to you, the university and the city will have sufficient arguments to tear down that section of tenement rental homes and put up 'university housing', just like UoA did to squelch their problems. Kent and KSU have been trying to do this for years; you've only added more arguments to their side.
But why should you idiots care? You'll either drop out or scrape enough GPA in to graduate and leave a sorry and boring legacy for future students.
It's OK to have fun and party. I was in the same position quite recently than my words might sound. But when the police tell you to break it up, it's time to respect their word and quietly go home. I guess I wasn't raised in a barn like these kids apparently were.
Parma, Oh
Posted 11:34 AM, 04/28/2009
@CuddyTheFlash...You are lying..Police don't push people down for no reason. Just in made up stories used as excuses to riot.
