Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 09/28/2009 3:57:21 PM PDT by GLH3IL
PEORIA — .More than 24 hours after a melee broke out at an apartment complex for Illinois Central College students early Sunday, police were still sorting out the details.
Preliminary information from East Peoria police indicates a party Saturday night at WoodView Commons, an apartment complex at 100 WoodView Lane, grew out of control.
“As best we can gather, the initial scenario is that there were some discourse between two gangs that became heightened by the playing of a certain rap song that insulted one of the gangs, and the fight was on,” Police Chief Ed Papis said Monday. “Whoever was DJing (the party), when they played the rap song, one of the groups became insulted and the fight escalated.”
Police were called to the apartments about 11:50 p.m. after an undetermined number of gunshots were fired. Between 250 and 400 party-goers were scattering in all directions, many in a panic, Papis said.
Papis said at least four people were hospitalized, including a woman who was run over by a car trying to flee gunshots and sustained two broken legs. There were unconfirmed reports of gunshot wounds.
Two East Peoria police officers were injured, but not hospitalized.
In the aftermath of the brawl, many at the apartments believed people had been shot. “We can’t confirm it,” Papis said. “When you have a confusing melee going on, there’s all kinds of directions people lead us on.”
At least four vehicles were damaged by bullets, he said. He said it was unclear how many total rounds were fired, or how many different guns were discharged.
“We’re trying to sort all of this out, and we’re not getting too much information from the folks who we’ve arrested,” Papis said.
Three arrests were made Sunday, but other suspects still are being sought. Emanuel Jones, 21, Jemeral Linwood, 19, and Rodrick Johnson, 19, were booked into the Tazewell County Jail on charges of mob action and aggravated battery. Their bond hearing is set for Tuesday afternoon.
Seven police agencies responded to the fight — East Peoria, Peoria, Tazewell County, Creve Coeur, Washington and the East Peoria Park District.
ICC surveillance video was being reviewed Monday. Papis also said police were examining one of the bullet-riddled cars for evidence.
The police chief said one of his officers sustained a torn uniform and bruises and scrapes to the face, knees, elbows and hands. Another officer was cut on the hand. Neither officer was transported to a hospital.
Police and ICC officials were expected to meet Monday afternoon to discuss the incident, although the apartments are not owned by ICC.
“Rest assured that I am not at all happy about this situation,” Papis said. “We will respond accordingly.
“Anytime one of my officers gets hurt, it becomes incumbent upon me to put measures in place so that does not happen again.”
“That won’t sell in Peoria.”
Geez, what the hell happened to Peoria?
Welfare babies selling drugs not paying taxes then having more welfare babies before costing us money in the hospital, courts, jails and finally morgue.
Welcome to post-1965 America, and thanks, Teddy.
Street gangs happend to Peoria, and people thinking that just because they are across the river there is no reason to be vigilant against their presence.
This is East Peoria, different city, different county. Peoria 0bamaville went to hell in a hand basket a long time ago. Now they are exporting their crap across the river.
My son is a cop in E.Peoria.
Damn, I’m a native of Springfield...it’s such a beautiful town. I thought about moving back there a few years ago, but both parents have passed away and there isn’t much there to go back to....except Bass Pro Shops of course.
Give your son my regards, hope he wasn’t one of the guys that got scraped up the other night.
Those crazy Amish kids!
I don’t think he was working that night, I haven’t heard about it from him anyway.
Much like St. Louis and East St. Louis, a narrow strip of river divides Peoria and East Peoria. We sit about half way between Chicago and St. Louis as well as between the Quad Cities and a straight shot to Indianapolis. Sadly, we seem to get the scum from the 4 corners of the Midwest stopping by and unfortunately staying. I’ve never seen as hopeless, self destructive a group of people as the black community around here. How can people be so blind to the fact they are destroying themselves?
“As best we can gather, the initial scenario is that there were some discourse between two gangs that became heightened by the playing of a certain rap song that insulted one of the gangs”
GANGS in a college apartment? What kind of entrance requirements does this college have, anyway? I didn’t realize there were that many gang members going on to college after hs.
Well, I think the primary actors in the incident were not students, but were just at the student residence area for the party. The police are still sorting alot of things out. I do think one of the things that will be put under a microscope is what the management of the student residence facility is doing to ensure criminal types are not getting in as residents there. It sure seems like the college has a major mess and headache on its hands
I don’t think the malaise is just with the black community, Peoria has alot of problems and it’s having a negative impact on alot of things. It doesn’t help they Peoria has become a cross roads for Chicago and Indianapolis gangs
>>>He said it was unclear how many total rounds were fired, or how many different guns were discharged.
All they can really be certain of is that the gunshots were all fired from weapons behind held flat sideways.
I heard on the local news tonight that I.C.C. is going to assign a full time security guard to the area. The way he said it, it sounded like that will fix the problem.
Actually, the security officer in question is a part-time officer and is unarmed. It may be that the management company running the student residence facility is hiring the ICC guy to their own staff as a full-time WoodView employee, but even then he’ll still be unarmed...a definite disadvantage given the current environment.
All ICC security officers are only equipped with pepper mace, batons, and cuffs. ICC does have campus police officers, I think a total of 5 of them. Two are in training at the moment, and one is assigned to the downtown campuses. The remaining two are management staff and only work Monday through Friday during set hours - never on 3rd shift or weekends.
Right now I am wondering why a school like ICC even has student housing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.