Posted on 10/10/2010 11:28:14 AM PDT by Palladin
Unruly Dance Crowd Gets Pepper-sprayed after Array of Fights
October 10, 2010 - By PHILIP A. HOLMES - pholmes@sungazette.com
As a homecoming dance was letting out at the Williamsport Area High School late Friday night, hundreds of students began fighting, creating riot conditions that took nearly an hour for city police and other officers to bring under control.
"We were overwhelmed. That's the best way to put it," Lt. Tim Miller, the patrol supervisor in charge of the scene, said.
"We were called there for a large disturbance. While en route, we received several calls from school officials there who were screaming for help," Miller said.
As they began to arrive at the school at 2990 W. Fourth St. about 10:30 p.m., officers were faced with an out-of-control mob of students who were punching and kicking one another, Miller aid.
"When we got there, we observed hundreds of kids rioting outside. I never made it inside, but I was told that there were kids also fighting inside," Miller said.
It was unknown what sparked the angry outbursts, but police said that it apparently began inside at the dance and became explosive as staff members opened the doors and pushed those involved outside.
Mutual aid was immediately needed from all surrounding police departments because when the five on-duty city officers arrived at the school, they were clearly outnumbered and overpowered, police said.
"There were several fights all going on at one time, each of them had their own group of bystanders who were encouraging the fighting," Miller said adding that the bystanders failed to comply with orders to disperse.
At one point, an officer trying to separate two girls who were fighting with one another suddenly felt threatened by two men who began to circle him. A second officer, seeing that his colleague was in trouble, came to his aid, police said.
Miller termed the unruly behavior "contagious."
Although the assaults and the crowd's behavior reached the level of misdemeanor and possible felonies, no one was taken into custody.
"We didn't have enough officers. I couldn't take anyone in custody because I would have needed a 100 cops to do that," Miller admitted.
"I'd have to estimate 300 to 500 kids (were involved). We started trying to break up the fights, but there were too many kids and not enough of us," he said.
"There were people who should have been arrested, but we could not take them into custody because our safety would have been jeopardized," Miller added.
Pepper spray was needed to disperse some of the crowds. One female student was taken by ambulance to the hospital to be treated for her reaction from the spray. There were no other reports of injuries.
By 11:30 p.m., police were able to get most of the crowd dispersed. "They left in all directions," Miller said.
"I believe some students will be charged at a later date. We do have the identities of some of those involved. The investigation is ongoing, and will be handled by the school's resource officer."
Oh, I don’t agree with the “Kids will be kids...it’s been going on forever...etc.” I didn’t participate in anything like that, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t even have occurred to my kids that it could be an acceptable way to act.
Just adding some context. That was all.
Thank you for your input.
I hate to sound stupid—but where is Williamsport?
Home of Little League Baseball.
A little bit north of PA Dutch Country, near where I’m at.
But believe me, the Amish youth get “wild and crazy” too.
I’m curious if there was a racial component to this riot, and what the race or races of the rioters was.
The police would have provided a good public service if, on their way to the school, they notified the press, particularly the photographers, so that the local papers could actually show the town what the wonderful students had been doing that night.
Williamsport is the larger principal city of the Williamsport-Lock Haven CSA]], a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Williamsport metropolitan area (Lycoming County) and the Lock Haven micropolitan area (Clinton County),[9][10][11] which had a combined population of 157,958 at the 2000 census.[1]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 30,706 people, 12,219 households, and 6,732 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,456.3 people per square mile (1,335.1/km²). There were 13,524 housing units at an average density of 1,522.3/sq mi (588.0/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 84.11% White, 12.73% Black, 0.36% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.
Homecoming dances sure have changed since I was a youngster!
^^^
Young people have changed since you were one. It is truly amazing to see how many are raised with no manners, no respect. Of course, so many of them have been left in the care of strangers starting at age 6 weeks. The parents are with them for comparatively few waking hours.
This one is in Pennsylvania.
There are a couple of others...one in Ohio, I think.
No doubt some video of the action will surface on You-Tube soon.
Sure there are, it’s just that 99.99% of them are homeschooled.
:)
Dance organizer speaks out on reported melee
October 11, 2010 - By PHILIP A. HOLMES pholmes@sungazette.com
The president of the Williamsport Area High School Student Government Association that organized Friday night’s homecoming dance said she was “ashamed” at how events got “out of hand,” but she believed the situation “could have been handled better.”
In a phone call to the Sun-Gazette Sunday night, senior Julianne Kiess said she was upset with news coverage of a reported melee and how the version presented by city police put the high school “in a negative light.”
As hundreds of students were leaving the school at 2990 W. Fourth St. about 10:30 p.m., numerous fights broke out.
As hundreds of students were leaving the school at 2990 W. Fourth St. about 10:30 p.m., numerous fights broke out, escalating to near-riot proportions, forcing officers to use pepper spray “grenades” to get the unruly crowd to disperse, according to city police.
“Nobody really knows how it started,” said Kiess, who was inside working a snack bar when the disturbance erupted.
“I think it stated with a few students acting out, and then it escalated. If those students could have been maintained or managed earlier on, it would not have been allowed to escalate like it did,” Kiess said.
The student association spent a week promoting the dance, which was attended by 300 to 500 students, Kiess said.
“I don’t think there were as many students involved (in the fighting) as was made out to believe,” she said.
Lt. Tim Miller, the patrol division supervisor in charge at the scene, said officers rushed to the school after school staff members called screaming for help. The officer admitted police were “overwhelmed” by mobs of students who were punching and kicking one, and who refused to disperse. It took about an hour for a dozen or more officers to get the crowd under control.
Kiess said Miller’s account “sounded like he was victimized, and that was very inappropriate.”
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