Broncos' Voice
March 1997
In the interest of fairness, objectivity, and balance we felt it both prudent and necessary to print the official police reports of the FSU and
Fayetteville city police departments concerning the February 22 police attack on FSU’s Bryant Hall. In the words of Dragnet’s Jack Web:
Just the facts. Ma’am, the facts. Ed.
Fmettmk
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Febniary 24,1997
ADMINISTRAnVE
memorandum TO: Ronald E. Hansen
Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Bryant Hall Event
Fayetteville State Univenity
I have conducted an .extensive review of the events concerning the incident at
Bryant HaJi at Fayetteville- State University. This cover report is intended to be a
summary of events only. Included in the review are reports given by ofBcers and
supervisors on the scene.
Our department's first involvement with the Fayetteville State University
students started at 0008 hours on February 21, 1997: Two officers and Sgt. McNair
responded to the Days Inn on Bragg Blvd. in reference to a disturbance by "unregistered
guests" who were smoking marijuana, playing very loud music and displacing motel
property." The officers arrived and found evidence of the complaint along with 60-70
persons either in the vscinity of two of the registered rooms or in the parking lot. The
crowd was loud but manageable by the oEBcers. The crowd was asked to leave by motel
management aiwi they did. They were somewhat vocal at the officers but no arrests were
made. The officers inspected the rooms that the students were in and detected a strong
odor of marijuana. The beds had been taken t^arf and put into the bathrooms in
order to accomodate more people The /ire alarms had been covered with wet towels.
Apparently this was done so that the marijuana smoke within the rooms would not set
the alarms off. One suspect detained on the scene admitted to possession of marijuana,
but he had swallowed the evidence; therefore, he was not chargcd. (See OfEcer Hagen's
Report).
The two motel rooms were registered to Roderie Diggs. A criminal history
check revealed among other charges that he was arrested and found guilty of
Possession of Crack Cocaine (Felony) . It is evident that illegal drugs were being used
at the party which apparently was being sponsored by Mr. Diggs, a Convicted Drug
Felon. I think it is reasonable to believe that the students left the motel out of concern
of being connected to illegal drug activity.
At 003S hours Dorm Director called Fayetteville State Police Officers
concerning "Illegal activity taking place at Bryant HalL" The illegal activity was
believed to be related to suspected illegal drug use near or in the dorm. Fayencvillc State
Police OfBccr Butler and Lieutenant Johnson arrived on the scene. They discovered the
parking lot at Bryant Hall was congested with students and vehicles. They estimated 100
students were in the area. They were described as being "very noisy from music in cars
and smdents". Lt. Johnson instructed OfiBcer Butler to get on a loud speaker and order
the studems to disperse. Lt. Johnson approached Shawn Arnold , who was a student in
the crowd. Arnold was loud and disruptive, using profanity and stating he did not have to
clear out. Lt. Johnson informed turn if he remained and continued to cause a disturbance
he would be arrested. Apparently some friends ushered Mr. Arnold away. OfBcer Butler
continued trying to get the students to disperse by talking to them on the P.A. system on
his vehicle. The crowd refused to disperse . Lt Johnson called their dispatcher and
requested assistance form the Fayetteville Police Department Later on, Mr. Arnold
returned and was arrested by FSU police.
At 0049 hours we received a call in reference to Fayetteville State University
Police reiuesting assistance due to a disturbance they were having. Our first ofiSccr on
the scene observed a large unrtily crowd of students in the parking lot and on the balconies
of Bryant Hall. Crowd estimates range from 60 to ISO depending upon which reports
are read. Students who were observed at the Days Inn were also identified in the
crowd. The officcr made contact with Fayetteville Sute PoUce Officials. The ofiicer was
told that they (FSU police) had given an order for the crowd to disperse and they bad
refused. The FSU ofiBcers wanted any persons who refused to disperse to be arrested
Our first responding officer states that the crowd is loud, using profanity, throwing
objeca at ther^ and in general unruly. Our officer suggested that additional
Fayetteville police officers be summoned to the scene before any arrest are attempted.
At that pomt additional officers are summoned to the scene from our department.
The atmosphere of ^e students in the parking lot and in the dorm continued to
become more hostile. As officers arrived, the students are described os threatening in
n^ure, shouting obscenMes and throwing objects. The description of objects reported
thrown at or on the offic^ range from various Uquids to feces as well Mother
unknown objects. The students are shouting "Fuck thepoBce, ” The roofis on Kre. Ui
the mother fuck^ burn, et. (For additional referenc^ plelse^cfcT ^ the fffice^
statements.) At this pomt, no arrest are made. omcers
As the officers and supers anrive they gather primarily in the parking lot The
f^ supervisors to arrive are Sgt McNair, Senior Sergeant Strt If' i ^ rl
Glascock: Sgt Glascock and Sgt Voters gathered the officJ!;together ^te
instructed to avoid confritntalion with the students if at all possible until they could
determine what the Fcg/etteville State Officials wanted our department to help them
with. They were also told to pair up with one another for their own safety until they
received additional instructions.
Sgt. McNair established contact with the FayetteviUe State University Police
Lieutenant. McNair and Lt. Johnson (FSU) agreed that he (Lt Johnson) should give
the students another order to disperse into their dorm rooms. Lt Johnson gave
another order. The students refused to comply. Sgt McNair then made an
announcement informing the students to disperse and go into their dorm rooms. That
order was ignored. He waited 6-7 minutes. There was no sign that the crowd would
disperse. Sgt McNair ordered the Fayetteville Officers to disperse the crowd in
response to the Fayetteville State Police Officer's requests with the intent of getting
them into their dorm room. Any student that wanted to leave by vehicle was free to do
so.. The FayetteviUe State Police Officers lead our officers through the dorm hallways.
As they did so, most of the students returned to their dorm rooms. Four students which
refused to comply with the orders were arrested. Two by Fayetteville Police and two by
Fayetteville State Police Officers. Two of the subjects that was arrested received a
scratches on the facial area when they resisted arrest. They was examined by Fire Medics.
They required no medical treatment. Sgt. McNair was one of the officers that was
involved in the arrest.
Based on my revietv of the reports, small teams of officers .went through the
hallways of all three floors as well as the balconies. I have no reports of Fayetteville
Police Officers going into any dorm rooms. Sgt McNair states that none of our
officers went into the rooms or used pepper spray eventhough the officers were armed
and prepared to use the spray if needed.
Ailer the officers had completed the walk through of the dorriis they regrouped in
the parking lot with the supervisors. In between this time, Captain Fisher had arrived.
The dorm walk through proved to be limited in success. A.s the officers completed
walking down a hall way and leaving, the students simply came back out to the balconies.
However, some degree of order appeared to he restored and Ciqttain Fisher had
instructed the supervisors fa start releasing the officer back to their zones. At that
point, someone inside the dorm set off the fire alarm which caused the students to
evacuate the building. As many as 150 students were now in the parking lots or in the
general area. This caused a mixing of students who probably were not involved in the
disturbance and those that were. It did not appear reasonable to cause the students to
go back into the dorm with the fire alarm going off. The students adting the dorm at
that time were not as hostile eventhough they were vocal Captain Fisher decided to
continue with the plan to reduce the number of officers by putting our officers out of
view. A smatt group of about 6 officers remaned on or near the scene while the rest
left
When Captain Fisher arrived he asked for the Fayetteville State Police to make
contact with any ranking Fayetteville State Officials, specifically the Chancellor or
Dean or Students to respond to the scene. It appeared all attempts made were
unsuccessful At some point as some degree of order was returning. Chief Bell and
Captain Moore arrived on the scone. Upon my arrival, the large part of our officers had
already returned to duty. I made contaa with Chief Bell, Captain Moore, and Captain
Fisher. I asked Chief Bell if he needed any more assistance from our units. He stated that
he did not. Captain Fisher and I left at that time along with the remaining FayetteviUe
Police units.
Based on my review of the reports and CAD print outs, we had approximately 20
to 23 officers/supervisors engaged in the event at one time or the other. That is not a
unreasonable number of officers if they are going to be required to maintain order or
disperse a crowd numbering 60 to 150 people. The crowd had refused every command
to disperse starting with the first command given by the FayetteviUe State Police
officers prior to our arrival Officers did carry mace canisters but no macc was used by
Fayetteville Policc Officers based on the supervisors and officers statements. No student
has made any complaint to our department about being mace to date. I have no reason to
believe that any Fayetteville State Police Officer used any mace.
The only injury in the whole event was the minor cuts that two of the suspect
received as they resisted arrest.. They required no medicHl attention. No officers or other
students were mjxired.
The video tape supplied by an unnamed student supports the supervisors and
officers statements. The audio on the tape clearly demonstrates the verbal and threatened
hostility of the crowd toward the poUce. The video clearly shows that our officers were
weU disciplined, orderly and used restraint during hostUe provocation on the part of the
students. It does not show any evidence of unnecessary force on the part of any officers.
Another point brou^ to my attention was that students aUeged that our
officers to the campus. This is not true. Officers responded
from the adjoinmg zon« without regard to race. Some specialized units such as Patrol
lrrr^:kXr^tre?JpoX“"“ “
that the K9 might enflame the crowd so he P
officer then returned to assist his fellow ofRcers in 1 f vehtde. The K9
students allegations no K9 units were use^^rZd^ntir^^'’^ Contrary to some
practiced procedure to nrtandRe^e^tlS^