Shortly after 11:00 p.m., numerous reports of police action against UTC students began pouring in from local Twitter users. According to eyewitnesses, an "impromptu rave" —possibly inspired by a UNC Flash Mob Rave video which has been making the rounds among students— began on campus to celebrate the semester's end and some students got out of hand before as many as 17 police cruisers arrived on the scene. Some students reportedly ignored commands from officers and threw bottles and other objects at the police (updated).
Eyewitnesses claim that police officers then blasted pepper spray onto the crowd without first issuing a warning to students. As reported by TennesseeTicket, it is unclear at this time whether the officers were members of the UTC Campus Police or the Chattanooga Police Department, or both. Multiple sources have reported that 5 were arrested and one misdemeanor citation was issued (updated). Ongoing updates from last night are after the jump.
Update, 12:28 a.m.: A mobile phone video of the flash rave, posted on Facebook, shows students jumping from a campus building into a large crowd.
Update, 12:36 a.m.: An initial report from the Times Free Press puts the count at over 300 students.
Update, 12:48 a.m.: Photos from a student on the scene, posted above. The student, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that the library was closed by CPD in response to the incidents.
Update, 1:03 a.m.: More video of the "UTC rave riot" on YouTube.
Update, 1:07 a.m.: One last eyewitness report, and we're done for the night:
"I was standing in a spot that was sort of next to the library doors and was waving to a friend through the window when the cops busted out with the mace firing like in an old Western. No warning. I thought it was water until people started screaming and running away like it hurt. It seemed to me though that things went south when the library wouldn't let everyone in to the lobby like the original plan based on a video of UNC entailed-- people forgot about dancing and got focused on getting in and then everything went downhill when people were dumb enough to jump off the building over the doors. Up until then it was a really peaceful, upbeat gathering. It's not often UTC students all get together for something, so it's a shame it ended so badly, especially with some of the folks who got maced being uninvolved and just trying to study for exams tomorrow."
Update, 7:15 a.m.: Multiple sources (WRCB, NewsChannel 9) are reporting that 5 students were arrested, with one misdemeanor citation was issued. A commenter posted what they claimed is a statement from the police department, but we have not been able to confirm the authenticity of the statement. Once we receive an official statement, it will be posted here in its entirety.
John Hawbaker
baboatman on April 24, 2009
i am an adult student and was present...the chattanooga police dept's reaction was overkill and unneccsary...the students were mainly dancing and making noise, had done no physical damage to university property and probably could have been dispersed with use of communication and a simple bullhorn...the pepperspray was uneeded and excessive. the complete shutting down of the study facilities during finals will undoubtably affect some students in a negative way...how sad the chattanooga police dept needed to overreact to some excited and unarmed students just blowing off steam during finals week...sad!!and ridiculous.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
Completely agree with above. I was there as well.
Everything would have been fine if the police had just left it alone.
People were hanging out and dancing and having fun.
It is self perpetuating when the cops show up, it makes people do more, which is exactly what happened.
I hope the guy who got slammed and beat by the police sues.
A student on April 24, 2009
Yeah, when the police started spraying mace they hadn't tried anything else and there was no warning. I don't think anyone outside the building knew the cops were even there. The event probably would have been much shorter, quieter, and calmer if the library hadn't locked everyone out and if the police hadn't gone over the top on discipline.
Kevin on April 24, 2009
No napalm? Fascism ain't what it used to be.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
There was a girl with a mini-DV camera who was shooting the entire thing and the mace started.
We saw her get the arrests on camera. AT LEAST one of them was rediculously excessive force. The cop slammed him from behind with no warming and used his night club.
Hopefully charges will be coming. It was not even a "don't taze me bro" moment, the guy never saw it coming.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
I was there as well; standing back from the scene just watching everything unfold no real harm was taking place. The students would have dispersed shortly after a few crowd dove if the police had basically just ignored the crowds and stayed inside the library monitoring the situation.
How it all went down:
First there were just strobe lights and dancing, people shooting and jumping about.
Reaction: Police lock down the library refusing to let anyone in or the student inside out.
Crowd response: Relocate in front of the library doors; some shooting let us in, others UTC (like the chant on the Jimmy Fallon Show) and some where even shooting we need to study.
Reaction: Police begin to grow in numbers and yelling at the student then retreat inside the library doors.
Crowd Response: Swarm the doors and a few student climbed the entrance to the library and crowd surfed (all of about an 8ft drop)
Reaction: Without warning the police open up library doors and start spraying pepper spray into the air, striking many students who where not part of the crowd surfing and legitimately where at the library to study.
Police then also used excessive force on students clubbing one male student.
Notice the pattern: Each time the police reacted the incited a greater response, if they had just maintained presence non of the clubbing and mace would be necessary.
Olivia on April 24, 2009
Does this actually surprise anyone? Chattanooga seems to have a problem with cops and overreactions toward youth.
rj student on April 24, 2009
i was in the front line of people who got maced there was no warning and no legitament reason i have burns on my arms because the police soaked me with mace this was othing but students blowig off steam and the chattanooga nazis made it much worse
mattdaviss on April 24, 2009
I figure, if the cops didn't know what was happening - They might as easily just assume it was a zombie attack on the library...
needaplacetostudy on April 24, 2009
I was inside the library when all this happened. What was ridiculous to me (beyond pepper-spraying unarmed students) was that the CPD closed the library after crowds had already dispersed. So, the people who were inside studying got kicked out too, even though no one had been allowed in since the rave began. Also, people who went outside weren't let back in. A friend of mine who was studying for an exam went out to smoke a cigarette and they wouldn't even let her back in to get her books, which I brought out to her when they shut the library down. What a huge overreaction to a completely harmless situation.
Adnon on April 24, 2009
Well for all you adult students, college students in general, why don't you try controlling a mass of people that out number you 100 to 1? Do you know what the preferred officer to suspect ratio is? 3 to 1, so quit your whining about pepper spray and, "oh life is so hard because I'm in college with final exams, oh I haven't done S$%T with my life yet, but life is so hard!" Get a job, and quit your crying!!!
j on April 24, 2009
chip on the shoulder eh? like every other cop out there
Official Statement from UTC on April 24, 2009
"Incident on Campus"
UTC Police and Chattanooga City Police responded to a call Thursday evening about 11 p.m. of a large, disorderly crowd at the Lupton Library.
Upon arrival, police found a crowd of about 1,000 students congregating outside the library. The crowd began storming the library doors, chanting "Let us in!" "Take the library!" and other statements as they attempted to enter the library. UTC Police told the crowd to disperse. Instead members of the crowd began to climb up on the library and jump into the crowd. Some threw items at the police officers on site.
Police sprayed mace above the heads of students to disperse the crowd.
The Library was closed for a a little over an hour to allow the crowd to disperse and police regained control of the site.
Chattanooga City Police made five arrests and issued one misdemeanor citation.
According to reports to the UTC Police, the event was an event planned by students using text messages and social networks telling students to be at the UTC Lupton Library at 11 p.m. for a party. Other campuses have reported such incidents.
"I know that some of the students believe this was a harmless gathering, but when you try to force your way into a building and jumping off buildings, then you've gone beyond harmless fun. We are the middle of exam week, and there were students inside the library trying to study and conduct research, and this crowd disrupted the operation of the library. We greatly appreciate the assistance of the Chattanooga Police and the restraint demonstrated by all of the law enforcement officials who responded," said Chuck Cantrell, assistant vice chancellor for university relations.
An investigation by UTC Police and the Office of Student Development into the situation is ongoing.
Student on April 24, 2009
Full of shattttttttt. Way to be UTC.
lol on April 24, 2009
Your reasoning seemed logical until you quoted "life is so hard."
After that point, nothing you said had any relationship with the incident, and you lost all credibility for consideration.
I believe the conflict here is not about the final exams, nor getting a job, nor how hard life is, but rather, the legitimacy of using pepper spray without warning, as well as getting innocent people involved and hurt.
While I was not there, I do agree that these Police officers obviously do not now how to do their job. It is the Police officers' jobs to enforce the law and ensure order through legitimized use of force, but was this legitimized? That's the question. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I wasn't there.
ella on April 24, 2009
Really Chattanooga Police Department? Really?
You want to keep our children safe on the UTC campus? You want students to respect you? Really? Does this behavior make you proud of your officers, Chief Freeman Cooper?
Your officers caused pain and suffering to innocent students tonight. Your officers caused far more disruption on campus than any gathering would have caused. Your officers kept students from studying for their final exams... exams for classes that cost students thousands of dollars... only to be disrupted by individuals who chose to become bullies... rather than honor their oath to protect and serve.
Way to teach students to abhor authority! Epic Fail, Chattanooga.
student on April 24, 2009
You can't blame the police for half of the stuff that happened, some of the students were deserving. Like the frat boys who got arrested were yelling in the cops faces.
Some of it was the over the top, but most of the kids deserved half the shit. Sadly.
This is coming from a liberal atheist student too, so don't start the conservative "Loves the police" and government shit.
student on April 24, 2009
Watch the videos as well, and see that the cops didn't spray the mace until after kids were jumping off the structure. Its not like they were maced for dancing at the rave.
clark on April 24, 2009
my roommate saw a security person mace a girl who was just trying to leave library. those kind of actions make me sick. i know that security was nervous with the hundreds of students, but this took place well after. if this happened to you and you need a witness feel free to email me
needaplacetostudy on April 24, 2009
It would have been as easy for the meeting plans to have been "meet on the 3rd floor of the library." If the kids had really been wanting to start trouble, rather than just have some fun, they would have arranged to meet inside. The very fact that they met outside shows respect for the institution and their fellow students.
moho on April 24, 2009
so much fun at first! the police reaction was ridiculous though...we were being peaceful...just dancing and chanting in school spirit to a bit of rave music...and bam--i was maced in the mother effin face. i even told a lady cop how it couldn't be legal how they were macing us and she replied, "i know sweetie, i'm sorry" WTF, right?
Anonymous on April 24, 2009
FFFFFFFFFFFFFF.....
The goddamn propaganda engine is in full swing folks!
KEEP SPREADING THE TRUTH.
Frustrated on April 24, 2009
I was there and saw the whole thing from a top view and i spoke with many people afterwards. This "official statement" is full of shit.
needaplacetostudy on April 24, 2009
as the one who posted this, i should clarify:
This was the official statement issued by UTC to the student body via email a short while after the "incident" took place. I should have been clearer about that when I posted it last night....but hey, it was like 2am.
mwillingham on April 24, 2009
That's mature.
ghostfreeman on April 24, 2009
To me it seems like the Police could have incited serious walking injuries when they began to use the pepper spray.
Chris on April 24, 2009
I think Chattaratti has reached a tipping point. Congrats!
Now for you students: Congrats on actually attempting a flash mob!!! It's about time Chattanooga had its own mob. Next time, just keep in mind that you have to actually be in place BEFORE springing to action.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
I wasn't there to rave I was just outside; going to go into the library, but obviously they wouldn't let anyone in. It was pretty peaceful until the police looked the doors enraging the crowd. Nothing was damaged and no one was hurting each other.
When the police started spraying pepper spray (and i heard no warning) Naturally students started running everywhere. I had been back out of the way, up against the railing the entire time, but because of the pepper spray on students I almost got trampled over. The police in this instance caused more harm then the crowds did.
BB7 on April 24, 2009
Any one got video of the beating?
Pissed UTC student on April 24, 2009
I was there as well in the front by the doors and yes people were jumping into the crowd, there was no real intention of actually going into the library. One boy was trying to climb up and the security literally yanked his leg down and started yelling at him saying "don't do that" and that same cop took out his mace and raised it in the air and started spraying WITHOUT warning. I couldn't run cause I was in the front and me and my roommate were hit with the mace. I thought there was supposed to be warning...there clearly was not.
joejack on April 24, 2009
seriously people, what did you expect. You cant have a massive crowd like that trying to force its way into a building.
Everyone who is saying that spraying pepper spray at an unarmed crowd is wrong, are actually wrong themselves. Mace can and is used to try and subdue unarmed people and can be used without warning. If someone is armed do you think the police would use mace? Thats like taking a knife to a gun fight. I am a student and I am known to do my fair share of stupid stuff, but Im also willing to except the consequences of my actions. Just be glad that more people werent arrested and move on. Good luck with exams and I hope everyone has a good summer.
moho on April 24, 2009
if the cops had let us come in the library and dance for 45 min-1 hour, nothing bad would have gone down. mace was unnecessary. we weren't going in to vandalize the place. so the police freaked out--maced everyone in the area--which pissed ppl off--which led to actual crimes being committed. way to go chatty police!
Question?? on April 24, 2009
Why do you have to say they were frat boys? Do you know that?
baboatman on April 24, 2009
there are police depts all over the country who hav e no trouble controlling rougher and for example intoxicated crowds 10 to 100 times the size of the is little group of unarmed, sober college students!!, check out NYPD during New Years and St Pats, and NOPD during Mardi Gras...they don't pepper spray crowds just because they are outnumbered, they use communication, reason, they don't panic and the make accurate assessments of the situations!! its an art...not rocket science!!! and not impossible!
Newton on April 24, 2009
Yeah, come into the library when people are trying to study for their finals.
Should have used batons, more intimate and has a certain Euro feel to it.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
In my opinion, a person is only as smart as the biggest idiot in the mob he has joined.
I do not feel sorry for any of you for getting maced, you deserved it the moment some of the idiots in the mob started throwing stuff at the cops as they were showing up.
You should have been smart and left the moment things started getting out of hand, but you didn't. So you have no one to blame but yourselves
James on April 24, 2009
People gathering around are not suspects. They are people practicing their unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Suspects are people suspected of perpetrating a crime.
The fact that the cops (not to mention the rest of the government) are confused about this is one of the scariest aspects of modern society.
utcstudent on April 24, 2009
I witnessed it and it was terrible. A girl walking away from the police got sprayed in the back of the head. I hope she presses charges on that bastard cop.
utcstudent on April 24, 2009
You must have not seen some of the people that got maced. I saw a girl walk down the stairs of the library get sprayed in the back of the head. She was doing what the cops told her to. I think that is excessive force. I understand spraying mace in the air to disperse the crowd. Doing what they did is like arresting somebody for speeding. It was just completely excessive. THE COPS should have to face the consequences for THEIR actions. I hope they get sued.
World Domination Party on April 24, 2009
It's the liberals!!! It's all because of liberals! Agggghhhh!!! KILL KILL KILL!!!!
yours truly
World Domination Party
(Happy Fascists With Guns : ) L
ps the real crime here is that none of these college students have learned to spell.
YourEnglishTeacher on April 24, 2009
Shooting? haha it's SHOUTING you moron. Pay attention more closely since you ARE in school... DUH! lol
no tolerance for the ignorant on April 24, 2009
You people are in college. Grow the crap up. This is finals week and I understand the need to unwind, but yelling let me in and charge the doors scared the hell out of some people. The police had every right to take the action that it did. I'm sure all of you made your parents proud.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
I'm sorry I spelled a word incorrectly, I was more focused on the facts that had just happened in front of me. I find it amazing that you would dare criticize a misspelled word when the point of the entire statement was to provide an EYEWITNESS account from a person who was not part of the actual rave, but rather just at the library.
Do you really have nothing better to do? Rather then correcting my spelling why don't you help stand up for those whose rights where violated (and I am not talking about those who did fight back with the police) I am talking about the 5'3 blonde hair girls who where walking down the library steps after the initially spraying of mace and had an officer come up to them, yell at them for being there and spray them in the face. Exactly what threat did they pose?
THEY DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG!!! Why don't you spend your time critiquing that.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
If you weren't there then simply don't post anything. You don't know what actually happened, and I was one of those trying to study.
The VAST majority of the students outside did nothing wrong and yet I saw police took actions against students that was excessive, they were walking away and doing what they were told, but yet they were still maced. I am grown up and not whinnying, it didn't happen to me.
What I have learned from college is that the media isn't always right and that you can't believe everything you see on TV. Police are human too, and they make mistakes. Like the students who did deserve to get arrested the police should be held accountable for their actions towards the students who did nothing.
So stop giving your opinion because its not what actually happened.
brianparks on April 24, 2009
A complete and total overreaction by the cops.
UTC Student on April 24, 2009
A library is not a dance club, it is a place to study and do work. Some of us folks that have jobs and families go to the library at that time to study and get work done because that is when we can go. Do not blame the Chattanooga cops for something that would have never happened in the first place if people would have been smart about the whole situation.
I am not opposed to fun, but there is a time and place for it. When you try and rush a library, jump off buildings into crowds, disturb people's work place, disturb studying, and disturb the public in general, I am not sure exactly what some of you guys expected. The crowd that assembled last night supposedly has some education under their belt. When you are told to leave, why is it so hard to comprehend?
Thanks for ruining study time for some of us!
scribebob on Aug. 8, 2009
My son is a pretty big guy – 6’3” tall, solid build, has good instincts and walks with the confidence of a 19-year old who has his whole life ahead of him. But I worry about him. He is away at college.
I’m sure I am like millions of other dads around the country who has a son or daughter away at college who wonder if they will be safe. Safe from what? We aren’t sure, but we read about terrible things happening every day and when your children aren’t “safe at home,” then a parent worries about them. But I don’t worry quite as much about my son as I did when he first went away to college. Let me tell you why.
As we were saying our goodbyes in his dorm room a few months back, I told him that I know he feels as though he can handle anything, but I had bought something that I wanted him to carry with him whenever he could possibly be walking in an area where there may be danger. I handed him a Triple Action Mace spray that is the ultimate in street protection. Of course he scoffed at me and was embarrassed at having to take it (I wouldn’t take a no) and gave me a very insincere-sounding “o.k.” when I forced him to tell me he would carry it when he felt he might need it. Of course, I went away feeling that in his mind, that occasion would be “never.”
But circumstances altered that feeling. And my son’s outlook has forever changed. No longer does he think that there is no possible danger lurking around corners. Unfortunately, he has experienced it himself and he now recognizes the real world for what it is, and it is not a nice view. There are people out there who are up to no good.
It happened one weekend evening after a football game on campus. My son and a couple of his classmates were wandering into the nearby village to grab a bite to eat and to see what was happening. Unfortunately, they found more than they were bargaining for. In one of the town’s eateries, they encountered some local girls, not students at their college, and they all joined together for some food and conversation. One or two of them might have exchanged names and phone numbers.
On their way home they were stopped by a group of young men who wanted to know what they were doing “messing with their women.” The male residents of the village, it seems, are protective and jealous of college boys invading their “territory”. Although they were outnumbered by a man, my son and his friends were not intimidated and told the intruders to “get out of their way.”
One of the village boys then struck one of my son’s friends with a bat, injuring him badly, and a brawl ensued. It didn’t last long, thankfully, for police were nearby and stopped the action. The local boys scattered. My son’s friend ended up in the hospital and he and his other buddy suffered some injuries, but not serious enough to be treated
It seems that this village-college feud had been going on forever. The “townies” just don’t like the “gownies” to invade their territory and steal their girl friends. “‘Twas always thus.” That experience was enough to convince my son to carry my gift to him whenever he ventured into town, or anywhere else, for that matter, where he felt there could be trouble. And it served him well on one occasion when a mild scuffle took place in town several months later. When he and a girl he was with were threatened by several young men and they began to attack, he used the Triple Action Mace on them. The combination of pepper, tear gas and UV marking dye totally incapacitated the three intruders and made them wish they had never thought of approaching the couple. The pepper spray causes eyes to slam shut, plus uncontrollable coughing and choking. The tear gas causes profuse tearing, an intense burning sensation to the face and disorientation. And the dye marks the assailants and aids in later identification and apprehension – if they are able to leave the scene.
Needless to say, the word got around and townies aren’t so anxious to protect their territory any more. And my son’s friends called their parents and asked them to provide them with the same Triple Action Mace my son used. It was a learning experience, a tough one, but one that will serve them all well. If you want to find out more about Triple Action Mace, go to: www:yoursecurityandsafety.com/tripleaction.htm