MSU Fans Say Police Overreacted With Tear Gas
Attorney Plans To Prosecute Fans Under State Rioting Statute
POSTED: Wednesday, April 6, 2005
UPDATED: 3:08 pm EDT April 6,
2005
Some fans hit with tear gas during the melee following the Michigan State men's basketball Final Four game on Saturday night appeared before East Lansing City Council Tuesday night to complain. 
Lauren McDonnell, a senior at MSU, said that the police use of tear gas was unnecessary, Local 4 reported.
Exclusive Video: Rescue 4 Goes Inside The Chaos At MSU
"We had been very respectful. We were not destroying anything. We were just chanting, 'Go green. Go white,'" said McDonnell.Police told Local 4 the first canister of tear gas was launched about 20 minutes after the game's end.Local 4 reported that police fired tear gas in an effort to move large crowds that were building in the Cedar Village apartments area and on Grand River Avenue.Police warned the students to disperse, Local 4's Marc Santia reported.Some of the people who appeared before City Council accused police of firing the canisters directly at fans. No one at the public hearing spoke in support of the police, according to The Lansing State JournalMore than 200 officers from eight agencies were at the scene Saturday night. Police said the tear gas was necessary to prevent the destructive rioting that had taken place in previous years, the paper reported.East Lansing Police Chief Louis Muhn told council that his department used 130 tear gas canisters, but he did not know how many canisters were fired by other departments that night, according to the paper.Michigan State alumni Matthew Harrison told Local 4 that things have changed in East Lansing since he attended the school."I was even thinking about coming back here to get my MBA ... There's no possible way," said Harrison. "This school is not the same as it was when I was a freshman."Local 4 learned that the city of Lansing's attorney plans to prosecute the 43 people arrested Saturday night under a state rioting statute.
Lauren McDonnell, a senior at MSU, said that the police use of tear gas was unnecessary, Local 4 reported.Exclusive Video: Rescue 4 Goes Inside The Chaos At MSU"We had been very respectful. We were not destroying anything. We were just chanting, 'Go green. Go white,'" said McDonnell.Police told Local 4 the first canister of tear gas was launched about 20 minutes after the game's end.Local 4 reported that police fired tear gas in an effort to move large crowds that were building in the Cedar Village apartments area and on Grand River Avenue.Police warned the students to disperse, Local 4's Marc Santia reported.Some of the people who appeared before City Council accused police of firing the canisters directly at fans. No one at the public hearing spoke in support of the police, according to The Lansing State JournalMore than 200 officers from eight agencies were at the scene Saturday night. Police said the tear gas was necessary to prevent the destructive rioting that had taken place in previous years, the paper reported.East Lansing Police Chief Louis Muhn told council that his department used 130 tear gas canisters, but he did not know how many canisters were fired by other departments that night, according to the paper.Michigan State alumni Matthew Harrison told Local 4 that things have changed in East Lansing since he attended the school."I was even thinking about coming back here to get my MBA ... There's no possible way," said Harrison. "This school is not the same as it was when I was a freshman."Local 4 learned that the city of Lansing's attorney plans to prosecute the 43 people arrested Saturday night under a state rioting statute.
Previous Stories:
- April 4, 2005: Police: Half Of MSU Fans Arrested Not Students
- April 4, 2005: Police Say Officers Assaulted, MSU Fans Arrested
- April 3, 2005: Reports: Police Fire Tear Gas Into East Lansing Crowd
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