10 'Use of Force' Reports filed by Police from College Fest

Policy dictates officers can "only use force in a lawful and justifiable manner."

Check boxes next to phrases such as "Wrestling," "Balance Displacement" and "Take-Down" explain how police officers put an end to the College Fest riot last month near the Kent State University campus. Officers with the Kent Police Department and Metro SWAT filed 10 "use of force" reports related to arrests and crowd dispersement during the massive block party on East College Avenue on April 28. The reports offer scant details about what types of force was used. The reports apply primarily to two situations: having to use physical force in order to subdue someone and make an arrest; and when using crowd dispersal equipment — such as tear gas or "sting balls" — to break up the estimated 3,000 people who attended the annual block party. The …

•  2 Comments
• Videos (1)
• Documents (16)

A Very Different 'College Fest' this Weekend

Earlier police presence, weather put damper on repeat of "College Fest" rioting

POLL: Landlords Could be Responsible for 'College Fest 2' Emergency Response

Students organizing to clean street after anticipated block party this weekend

Richard Martinez, a sophomore Kent State University student, didn't go to "College Fest" last weekend. And he's not planning to attend "College Fest 2" this weekend. But he will be cleaning up the leftover smashed cans and broken glass strewn about the street afterward if the unsanctioned block party happens. Martinez and fellow Kent State student Jacob Ruby are organizing the "College St. Clean-Up" starting at noon Sunday to pick up trash and debris expected to be left behind if the 3,000 people who say they're planning to attend the party actually show. Martinez said he and Ruby were talking about how the unsanctioned end of-the-year block party gets out of hand when the topic of trash came up. "Jake said he was going to bring a bunch of…

•  21 Comments
• Videos (1)

Chris (Kit) Myers

8:53 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012

"There is no such thing as landlords in the City of Kent renting to students." Scott, you know not what you say. In fact, as a person renting to students, I resent your spreading the "big lie" that we are all some sort of uncaring ogres. You have not been in my property. There are no broken appliances, moldy bathroom tiles, & etc. Who are you, Scott? Why do you lump us all together? Where is your…   more ›

'College Fest' Cost Estimated at $26,000 for Emergency Personnel

Kent Police preparing for a repeat this weekend of last weekend's melee

The cost of the emergency response to "College Fest" this past weekend was about $26,000, according to city officials. But that cost could double after this coming weekend. Kent Police Chief Michelle Lee said the city tabulated the cost of police and fire staffing for the 24-hour period from 7 a.m. Saturday until 7 p.m. Sunday. Lee said staffing for that period cost the police department $9,200 and the fire department $3,200. The city also reimbursed the Portage County Sheriff's Office for $1,300 for providing officers. "And we estimated the other mutual aid agencies, including Brimfield and the state patrol and our swat team, and that came to $12,650," Lee said.  The total estimated cost of the emergency response is $26,350. Those figures…

•  16 Comments
• Photos (1)

Kent State asks Students to Help ID 'College Fest' Offenders

11 students among 33 arrested during weekend block party that spiraled out of control

Officials at Kent State University are asking students and others who attended "College Fest" to help police identify those who broke the law or created "a dangerous situation." The university posted a request for assistance on it's home page Tuesday afternoon asking people who may be able to identify those shown in videos and photos posted online committing crimes to contact Kent Police. "College Fest 2012 activities turned into a dangerous situation for participants as numerous fights broke out, which also included bottle throwing," the university's statement read. "Many photos and videos have been electronically posted that show participants throwing bottles — sometimes full, unopened bottles — at others, including the police. If you …

•  8 Comments
• Videos (1)

Jack Kelly

10:41 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012

DMP, Oh, no. A bunch of students gave Kent State a "bad name". Well, let's suspend them. What about athletics. Let's suspend the athletes of the football program if they have a bad season because it'll give KSU a "bad name." Do I need to offer up additional examples why them being suspended for something OFF campus sounds stupid? Or do you get it now?   more ›

Kent Safety Forces Strained by 'College Fest'

33 arrested, including 5 juveniles, during block party near Kent State campus

The dollars-and-cents cost of the safety responses to the events of "College Fest" on East College Avenue this weekend remain to be seen. But one can be sure Kent's safety forces were taxed to the max when they had to try to disperse an estimated crowd of about 3,000. The Kent Fire Department responded to 19 calls between 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Sunday, averaging almost three calls per hour for seven straight hours. "All but three (calls) were related to 'College Fest' activities," Kent Fire Chief James Williams said. "We were busier this year during 'College Fest' but were able to handle all of the responses with the help of Ravenna City, who we called over when things started to get very busy." During that time, 22 firefighters and …

•  7 Comments
• Photos (1)

Around Town and Gown

VIDEOS: College Fest from a Student Journalist's Point of View

Photographer uses GoPro personal camera to capture closure of College Avenue

The proliferation of smart phones makes everyone clutching one of these devices  an unwitting journalist. A simple search on YouTube garners dozens of results from people who captured a few seconds to several minutes of the atmosphere on East College Avenue on Saturday. So what exactly is College Fest? If the images captured are an accurate description, it's nothing more than drinking, fighting, dancing, shouting and stripping. In perhaps the most dramatic video, a photographer for the Daily Kent Stater, Philip Botta, straps on a GoPro camera and documents his coverage of the event. Warning: these videos contain graphic language. Viewer discretion is advised.

•  8 Comments
• Videos (4)

WATCH: 'College Fest' Ends in Tear Gas

Annual block party pits partiers against police

Editor's note: amateur video of Saturday's events, attached to this article, contains foul language. Viewer discretion is advised. The annual block party known as "College Fest" held to celebrate the end of the school year at Kent State University ended in a cloud of tear gas Saturday night. Kent Police, with support from area police departments, tried to disperse a crowd of thousands of people who gathered on East College Avenue between 7 and 9 p.m. with messages of "The party is over" broadcast over megaphones followed by blasts of tear gas canisters. Some in the crowd responded by throwing bottles at the police. KentWired reported that police tried to disperse the crowd after several violent fights broke out. Firefighters also had to …

•  24 Comments
• Photos (3)
• Videos (2)