AUGUST 26, 2014 -- At approximately 2:18 p.m local time this afternoon, University of Western Topeka Campus Safety officers responded to a request for assistance at Muscovy Hall dormitory on the UWT main campus, where a freshman move-in event was underway. Housing staff advised that the crowd waiting to get inside the building was becoming unruly and failed to respond to repeated requests to either calm down or sing the alma mater. At that point, Undergraduate Resident Assistants, per Housing Department emergency policy, began threatening the crowd with pepper spray, slingshots, and other control mechanisms. The crowd responded with impolite shoving, and some individuals were observed throwing pillows, samples of laundry detergent, and paper fans, at which point Campus Safety was contacted and arrived on scene shortly thereafter.
After surveying the situation, Campus Safety officers followed department protocol and drew their nightsticks, indiscriminately beating persons on the periphery of the disturbance in an effort to enforce order.
As the crowd continued to push back against officers and attempt to assist the wounded, Campus Safety personnel withdrew from their lines and maintained a perimeter using highly pressurized water hoses attached to the Chemistry Laboratory while awaiting tactical ground and air support from the S.W.A.T. Unit of the Topeka Police Department.
With assistance from the Campus Safety Riot Control Officer, a campus-wide curfew was put into immediate effect and electricity cut to affected areas on campus. T.P.D. helicopters and campus safety personnel proceeded to assist ground S.W.A.T. units in dispersing tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd.
Those who were not incapacitated at this point surrendered peacefully, and most present were arrested and trespassed from UWT property. Many now face numerous criminal charges and the possibility of life in prison without parole, and any proof of student involvement will result in an immediate expulsion with a pre-denied appeal.
At this time, UWT Campus Safety would like to commend its officers and the bravery they displayed in the face of a violent and unruly mob. We also thank our colleagues at the Topeka Police Department for their invaluable support as well as our partners at the UWT Office of Student Housing for their staff's efforts at resolving the situation.
After surveying the situation, Campus Safety officers followed department protocol and drew their nightsticks, indiscriminately beating persons on the periphery of the disturbance in an effort to enforce order.
As the crowd continued to push back against officers and attempt to assist the wounded, Campus Safety personnel withdrew from their lines and maintained a perimeter using highly pressurized water hoses attached to the Chemistry Laboratory while awaiting tactical ground and air support from the S.W.A.T. Unit of the Topeka Police Department.
With assistance from the Campus Safety Riot Control Officer, a campus-wide curfew was put into immediate effect and electricity cut to affected areas on campus. T.P.D. helicopters and campus safety personnel proceeded to assist ground S.W.A.T. units in dispersing tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd.
Those who were not incapacitated at this point surrendered peacefully, and most present were arrested and trespassed from UWT property. Many now face numerous criminal charges and the possibility of life in prison without parole, and any proof of student involvement will result in an immediate expulsion with a pre-denied appeal.
At this time, UWT Campus Safety would like to commend its officers and the bravery they displayed in the face of a violent and unruly mob. We also thank our colleagues at the Topeka Police Department for their invaluable support as well as our partners at the UWT Office of Student Housing for their staff's efforts at resolving the situation.
Media Contact:
Captain Adele Dazeem
Department of Campus Safety
University of Western Topeka
Captain Adele Dazeem
Department of Campus Safety
University of Western Topeka
ABOUT THE UWT CAMPUS SAFETY DEPARTMENT: The University of Western Topeka's Department of Campus Safety is composed of multiple individuals with varying degrees of law-enforcement experience. Fully accredited by the UWT President's Office, it is mandated to enforce University policies on campus grounds and to call police in the event of actual laws being broken. The Department provides a visible presence and organizes frequent workshops on how to properly lock bicycles. It is also a proud recipient of surplus military equipment from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and frequently publicizes this fact in order to discourage criminal activity.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN TOPEKA: The University of Western Topeka is one of Topeka's top three institutions of higher learning, currently ranked as third best university in the nation (with a duck mascot). Offering bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees through its five colleges, UWT plans to offer Medical and Law degrees by 2015. The University awards increasingly prestigious Roads Scholarships and Noble Prizes on an annual basis and is home to an Art Institute, on-campus dry cleaner, and the world's only academic institution dedicated solely to narwhal research.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN TOPEKA: The University of Western Topeka is one of Topeka's top three institutions of higher learning, currently ranked as third best university in the nation (with a duck mascot). Offering bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees through its five colleges, UWT plans to offer Medical and Law degrees by 2015. The University awards increasingly prestigious Roads Scholarships and Noble Prizes on an annual basis and is home to an Art Institute, on-campus dry cleaner, and the world's only academic institution dedicated solely to narwhal research.
