UPDATE 10/12/12
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Morgantown police have arrested four West Virginia University students and two others in the aftermath of last weekend's post-game rioting.
Three are from Maryland, two are West Virginians and one is from Pennsylvania.
With the help of social media, police identified 21-year-old Kathryn Durko of Cokeburg, Pa.; 22-year-old Timothy Watkins of Westminster, Md.; James Richard Zito of Glenelg, Md., and 18-year-old Alexandra Amato of Morgantown.
Charges against the four students include disorderly conduct, and battery and obstruction of an officer.
Police also charged 19-year-old Pursglove resident Nathan Hoopergarner with battery on a government representative or emergency responder, while 39-year-old Vincent Rohrbaugh of Germantown, Md., was charged with public intoxication.
Police say they'll be ready with new tactics to handle potential problems after Saturday's football game at Texas Tech.
Officials met this week in the wake of more than 40 fires set last weekend after WVU's 48-45 win over Texas.
Police Chief Ed Preston says he brought in a crowd-control expert for advice but declined to identify him or discuss his recommendations.
Fire Marshall Ken Tennant, meanwhile, says the city has put out 181 fires so far this year - 101 street blazes and the other 80 in trash bins.
That's the fourth-highest figure in the 15 years the department has been tracking such fires.
The record is 274 in 2003, followed by 245 fires in 1998.
And, Manilla says WVU students should help pay for hiring more first responders.
Manilla tells media outlets that he is considering asking the university to assess a $20 student impact fee for each WVU student each semester. The fee would generate about $1.2 million in revenue for the city annually.
The mayor says it's a public safety issue.
The Morgantown Fire Department says about 40 street and trash container fires were set following WVU's 48-45 win over Texas on Saturday night.
Police say officers wearing riot gear used pepper spray and CS gas to disperse an unruly crowd of about 1,000 people in the student-dominated Sunnyside area.
Firefighters say five people have been charged with malicious burning. In one incident, a light pole was torn down and tossed into a fire.
Riots broke out among hundreds of students, according to police. Officers say debris was thrown at cars, fire engines and officials trying to break up the fights.
WVU students and their friends are known for regularly starting bonfires to celebrate a big victory.
Morgantown officials are set to meet this week on how they can get a better handle and prevent the riots and fires in the streets.
Keep clicking WSAZ.com for the latest information.
|
Popular Searches Powered by Local.com |