Last night in Columbus, OH, people were naturally excited that the Buckeyes had taken down the Ducks to win the national championship. Unfortunately, the celebration quickly escalated into something much worse as police came to diffuse the situation. Police ended much macing and tear gassing anyone involved in the celebration.
According to the Columbus-Dispatch, this was the scene in Columbus:
Police scanners, however, filled with reports of fires in the campus area. There were more than 40 reports of fires – most of them in Dumpsters – in the hour after the Buckeyes’ victory. Most were concentrated between 12th and 17th avenues, between N. High and Summit streets.
In at least three cases, couches were reported to be set afire. According to radio traffic, in at least one case, other students helped the Fire Division and used a fire extinguisher on a couch. There also were about a dozen calls on trash fires in the campus area. No fire was reported to be serious.
There also were reports of gunshots fired in the campus area right after the game, Columbus police dispatchers reported. There were no reports of gunshot injuries related to postgame celebrations.
However, video evidence tells a different story.
This isn’t to say that some people weren’t out of control. Obviously, I wasn’t there, so I can’t say the extent. However, in the video there is clear evidence that cops were macing and tear gassing people who weren’t doing anything wrong. It’s up for interpretation, but there does appear to be the use of some excessive measures.
[h/t Complex]