Over screams and protest early Tuesday morning, police in Columbus, Ohio blasted pepper spray into the faces of football fans from only a few feet away after a victory celebration got out of hand.
Video published by the Columbus Dispatch newspaper showed police fired tear gas into crowds as armored cruisers rolled onto High Street after crowds gathered to celebrate Ohio State University winning the first national title game.
At one point, police shot pepper spray directly into the camera, blotting out the video.
Local station WCMH-TV reported that police arrested a handful of students for setting fires. Fans also tore down a temporary goal post, according to the Associated Press.
The Dispatch footage also showed young people leaning against nearby buildings, some vomiting, others shouting about the tear gas and pepper spray in their face.
“We are just innocent students celebrating our football team,” one person told the paper’s videographer.
“We were just out there in High Street and we got Maced, for no reason,” another said.
Watch the footage, courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch:
This post has been updated.
So, how many minorities does it take before a crowd goes from a “celebration to keep an eye on” to a “riot to be put down”?
I’d like to see where in the police manuals it teaches “use it or lose it” as a fundamental principle with respect to their weaponry.
And look at those cops…dressed as if they’re in the middle of Afghanistan. Who needs G.I. Joe dolls when you can BE one?
This video shows little or no reason for this type of response. Maybe something else was going on not shown on the video but this celebration looks pretty tame.
Good thing none of the actual players were there. The cops would have been firing more than tear gas at that point.
So, where was the VIOLENCE that this type of response requires?
These fan-based celebrations can get out of hand fast. I remember when Michigan won the NCAA basketball tournament and the celebration was a mess. Police car overturned, awnings of businesses torn down, fires set. College park the same when Maryland won some sport event against a rival a few years ago.