HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Some college students in Huntington got upset with how police raided their house party over the weekend.
They say it's a sign of the times in the city with officers singling out students. Their message to Huntington officers is to focus on the big crimes.
More than a 100 college-age adults were at the home when police arrived. They say officers mis-handled the situation so they made a painted a banner for everyone in the city to see their message aimed directly at police.
It’s all responding to a noise complaint at a home late Saturday night, but Huntington police say several verbal commands to the crowd to disperse were ignored.
"It wasn't ignored, but people were trying to get their act together and leave, but you want them to run when you tell them to leave?" Nathan Barnes of Huntington said.
After several altercations Huntington officers arrested seven suspects with their charges ranging from disorderly conduct to battery on an officer.
Army soldier Brent Best was one of those arrested. He and others say police picked the fight, so they peacefully protested in a big way.
It’s a statement that’s too strong because the landlord demanded it be taken down, but the message remains.
"We feel that the police department is more focused on college kids than they actually are on like the big crimes," Brent Best, who was arrested, said.
Now there’s another crime to investigate.
Nathan says someone busted his home's front window leaving the students wondering why their free speech and now safety are no longer secure.
The students say they think someone pressured the landlord to take that sign down, but they hope it will sharpen the focus on the serious crime in Huntington and make everybody realize their party didn't harm anyone.
Of course, police have a much different account of what happened.
Marshall and the police both deny asking the landlord to force that sign down.