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March 25, 2000 SportsLine.com wire reports |
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Police fired tear gas into a crowd of Purdue
students Saturday night after the rowdy fans overturned dumpsters and started
small bonfires following the Boilermakers' loss in the NCAA basketball
tournament.
Disappointed with Purdue's 64-60 loss to Wisconsin in the West Regional
final in Albuquerque, N.M., the group of about 300 students tore down a couple
of utility poles and lit a sofa on fire while police officers watched on the
ground and in helicopters.
But by around 9 p.m., police fired tear gas into the crowd to break it up. A
few hours later, 11 people had been booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail in
connection with the melee, said Sgt. Shana Kennedy of the Indiana State Police.
Though their names and preliminary charges were not immediately released,
Kennedy said most of those arrested faced public intoxication and disorderly
conduct charges. It appeared they were Purdue students, she said.
"It wasn't nearly as bad as Thursday night," said Kennedy, referring to
the disturbance earlier this week that started with a celebration of 5,000
students and ended with a bonfire, property damage and four Purdue students
under arrest. In that case, students were celebrating Purdue's victory over
Gonzaga.
Related Links:
Purdue comes up short against Wisconsin T O P N E W S
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