Nine tear gas canisters, pepper powder released

It began with a national championship loss. It ended with arrests, violence and tear gas -- and disappointment, anger and tension. \nAt least 30 people were arrested Monday night after IU's loss to Maryland in the championship game, Bloomington Police Department Cpt. Joe Qualters said. Arrests ranged from illegal consumption and public intoxication to resisting law enforcement and battery of a police officer.\nTwo state troopers were injured by bottles Monday night and required medical attention from Bloomington Hospital, one for a gash in his left leg and another for cuts to his face, Indiana State Police Sgt. Dennis Kirkman said. \nQualters said 21 BPD officers reported being hit with bottles and cans, and Kirkman said all responding state police officers were hit by flying objects. Several reported cracked face masks, but no BPD officer required formal medical attention, Qualters said.\nKirkman estimated about 4,000 to 6,000 people in the crowd, with about 130 law enforcement officers monitoring the gathering. Two head injuries were reported, one of which included cuts to the face. One person was unconscious at the Upstairs Pub but was treated for a diabetic illness, Qualters said. \nWhen the crowd gathered, it was fairly calm, but after several fires were set on Kirkwood by igniting clothing and plywood that had been ripped off a building, officers were hit with bottles and cans. The decision to disperse CS tear gas and OC pepper powdered-filled balls, which break and release powder, was made by Chief Michael Hostetler, according to a BPD statement. \nNine canisters of tear gas were set; an unknown number of OC pepper capsules were aimed at both the crowd and individuals, Qualters said. He said no rubber bullets were shot by police.\n"When the officers were the target of projectiles by the crowd and we seemed to be the focal point for the crowd's entertainment, then it became pretty obvious this was a situation we needed to address," Qualters said.\nHe said the contrast of Monday's crowd to Saturday's was astonishing. People were previously very enthusiastic, requesting photos with officers and giving high-fives.\n"Saturday night we had a totally different crowd," he said. "The mentality of the crowd was very jubilant, very celebratory. Everybody was in a a really, really good mood."\nAfter the win against Oklahoma to advance to Monday's game, officers in teams of only seven or eight moved into the crowd quickly to retrieve stop signs or stomp out small fires and retreated back quickly. But the unruly crowd Monday was more aggressive, Qualters said.\nA clothing fire seemed to be growing, and officers enclosed the area. But the crowd surrounded the police and started throwing bottles. Units were dispatched to get the remaining officers out of the crowd, Qualters said. Even with several arrests made in the area, the crowd did not disperse after 30 to 45 minutes and stretched from the Von Lee to McDonald's, he said. \nVerbal commands to the crowd to leave the area were not effective and only caused more thrown bottles, according to the BPD statement. Law enforcement officials moved into formation and began pushing the crowd toward campus, Qualters said.\n"One point it was like the line drawn in the sand," Qualters said.\nIt was at this point, around 1:30 a.m., that the tear gas and pepper powder was used, the statement said.\nLater in the night, there were no more emergency vehicles free to respond to other calls. The Bloomington Fire Department reported 44 fire calls after the end of the game, many of which were located in Varsity Villas Apartments.\nThe decision to remove street light wires and street signs cut back on the potential for further rioting, he said.\n"Much like you have to childproof your home, we're learning to NCAA proof our downtown," Qualters said.\nHe said Monday night was the first time the police resorted to such action in the 22 years he has lived in Bloomington, with 15 of those years on the force. \n"That's by far the worst I've seen," he said.\nQualters said the loss of the game disappointed him as well because he is an alumnus, but he was disheartened by the riot.\n"It's almost anymore like having a riot on your campus associated (with sports) is a rite of passage for college students," Qualters said. "For me personally it was very discouraging, and I was personally disappointed.\n"I thought that we as a university and community were above that. We have basically lowered ourselves to what other universities and communities have experienced associated with sports"