The Arizona campus Saturday night became a scene of chaos and minor rioting, as has become a tradition for both winning and losing teams in the NCAA tournament.
The Wildcats lost to Wisconsin in the Elite 8, which apparently pissed off some fans, who then decided to get a little too rowdy. Tucson, Ariz. police — in full riot gear — responded to the mass gathering of students and fans. Pepper spray, bean bags and good ol’ fashioned night sticks were busted out to disperse the crowd. In the end, 15 people were arrested for minor crimes like resisting arrest or unlawful assembly.
“The majority of the crowd did not respond to the dispersal order and began throwing beer bottles, beer cans and firecrackers at the officers,” Tucson Police Sgt. Pete Dugan told reporters. “Several of the firecrackers rolled underneath a patrol vehicle that was deployed with the Mobile Field Force Units.”
And apparently this necessitated a riot police officer absolutely launching a poor young woman through the air and wrapped around a bench with no warning and for no apparent crime. The video above is pretty disturbing to watch. It also contains some profane language.
There’s no question some fans were acting aggressively — but if the video tells the whole story, it’s impossible to defend this officer’s actions. The people in the video are shocked at the violence.
If you’re more interested in watching a guy take a handful of pepper bullets to the chest before being more-appropriately tackled by police officers, enjoy this video:
I’m sure all of these students’ parents are really proud of them.
Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports. He remembers being in a real riot, in 2004, when UConn won the national championship.
