COLUMBUS, Ohio – Columbus police officials say the level of force, including the use of tear gas, deployed to clear campus-area streets of rowdy partiers after Ohio State’s victory in the national college football championship game early Tuesday morning was appropriate.
Officers tried to control those celebrating with as little force as possible, repeatedly advised crowds to clear the streets and used tear gas and pepper spray when the revelers were unresponsive, Chief Kim Jacobs said Tuesday. She says she is not aware of any reports of officers acting inappropriately.
About six or seven people were arrested during the celebration, mainly related to the dozens of dumpsters, couches and other items set on fire, police spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis said. The Columbus Fire Department says it received 89 reports of mainly trash fires in the hours after the game.
Police say approximately 8,000 people broke into Ohio Stadium, damaging the gate and tearing down one goal post before they were dispersed.
About 5,000 people converged onto High Street and the energy level increased as the crowd size grew, Alexis-Bouzounis said. People in the crowd refused despite being repeatedly told to clear the streets, she said.
“We used air horns, we used speakers, we were yelling and, of course, when some people wouldn’t [disperse] we had to go to the next resort, which was tear gas,” Alexis Bouzounis said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Property destruction was taking place in the area and Alexis-Bouzounis says authorities believed the fires could have gotten even further out of control if police vehicles were unable to reach them in time. However, police and fire vehicles were surrounded making movement difficult, she said.
“We have no reports of higher levels of force being used. Anyone with such information should call Internal Affairs to allow us to conduct an investigation,” Alexis-Bouzounis said.
Nearly 100 additional officers were on duty Monday night and Tuesday morning, many on overtime, and Alexis-Bouzounis says many on campus thanked the police “for their professionalism in handling the crowds.”