Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Students, parents up in arms about ECU police actions
By Natalie Jurgen
East Carolinian, East Carolina U.
September 11, 2008

Investigations regarding unnecessary force at Saturday afternoon's ECU-West Virginia University game are still underway.

The 24-3 Pirate victory celebration did not go as planned. On Monday, approximately a dozen complaints were filed by students and spectators against various agencies for acts of alleged unnecessary force by police officers, and although not yet confirmed by ECU police chief Scott Shelton or any other police department, it has been rumored that there have been many more.

Attendance reached 43,610, the fourth largest crowd in ECU history and the largest since Skip Holtz has taken over as head coach; 114 police officers were present at the game, 60 of which were on the field.

Of these 60 officers, it has been confirmed that a number of them did exude excessive and unnecessary force against some of the students that rushed the field.

Shelton said his department's investigation has positively identified police officers and sheriff deputies seen in video clips taken on the field after the game and necessary disciplinary actions will be carried out by the respective agencies.

Three arrests were made at the game, only one of which occurred on the field.

"There is no denying that what you saw on the film is sickening in nature," said Shelton. "Now what we have to do is make sure we do a thorough investigation and find out, not necessarily what the person did for him to be taken to the ground, but why were punches thrown?"

In the meantime, ECU students are questioning police actions.

ECU junior Wesley Sawyer was among the many students that rushed the field after the game.

"I was standing along the fence near the field goal post with everyone else," said Sawyer. "As soon as the clock ran out people started jumping over the fence. I didn't even realize what was going on. I jumped the fence too and was soon grabbed and slammed to the ground by an officer who then pushed my face into the ground with his knee."

Sawyer said that his wrists were swollen for days from the handcuffs the officer placed around his hands while he sat with the other students being held. Sawyer claims that he was not even allowed to stand up.

In an email sent to ECU police and forwarded to The East Carolinian, Sawyer's father, Jeff, commented on the actions displayed Saturday.

"I hope this incident has opened the eyes of your department and you do what is right to protect the innocent victims that might someday be in a similar situation," he wrote.

Shelton said in a press release sent Tuesday that for the remainder of the football season ECU will use officers only from within Pitt County.

SGA president Andrew Griffin was also in close proximity to the events that occurred after the game.

"I was actually on the fence, front row and was wondering--what, through your investigation, excited these police officers that really were confrontational to the students in front of the fence," Griffin said Monday at a press conference with ECU and Greenville police. "They were really taunting us and saying, 'hey, if you come over this fence, you will get hurt.'"

Shelton responded with, "that's absolutely, totally unacceptable."

Videos of the event have been seen on a wide variety of mediums including YouTube, ESPN and a number of local news networks.

Chancellor Steve Ballard said Tuesday that the university will carefully review its game-day protocols and training to make sure everything possible is done to protect the safety of fans and players at the game.

"Safety is paramount," Ballard said. "Everything starts with that."

[ Back to Student Voices ]