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Police clear downtown crowd after post-game disturbance; no force used and no arrests made
Summary
State College Police and mutual aid partners cleared a crowd that had blocked Beaver Avenue after a football game; officers reported no injuries, no use of chemical agents and no arrests, and said they will follow up on video evidence of dangerous acts and assess property damage.
Chief John Gardner (State College Police Department) briefed council about a post-game disturbance in Beaver Canyon on the night after a major football event. The chief said officers and mutual-aid partners allowed celebrations to continue while monitoring, but began rerouting traffic and intervened after some individuals began destructive acts, including climbing on lampposts, removing traffic signage and discharging fireworks from elevated positions.
Gardner said officers began moving to clear the street at about 10:20 p.m., and that by roughly 11:30 p.m. the streets were fully cleared. He said no force or chemical agents (such as pepper spray) were used and no arrests were made that night. "We used no force, We used no chemical agents or pepper spray or anything like that and we reported no injuries to either to the public or our officers," Gardner said.
The chief said public works crews assisted with cleanup and the borough is assembling damage estimates; borough staff provided a preliminary estimate of about $3,000 for public damage and said private-property damage figures are still being compiled. Gardner said police are reviewing video evidence to identify individuals who climbed streetlights or set off fireworks from elevated positions and that follow-up enforcement actions and arrests are possible based on that review.
Council members thanked the police and mutual-aid partners. Several council members asked that council be notified when major incidents occur; Chief Gardner and the borough manager said staff will consider additional internal notification protocols while continuing to use public alert systems to ask crowds to vacate streets when needed.
The chief also announced his intent to retire at the end of the year after 35 years with the department and nine years as chief; council members thanked him for his service and said they will plan a future ceremony.
