ECU identifies officers in video

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ECU identifies officers in video

East Carolina fans celebrate their 24-3 upset of West Virginia on September 6, 2008.

Sep 9, 2008

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GREENVILLE, N.C. — The chief of police at East Carolina University said Tuesday that he has identified members of the security detail at Saturday's game who are on video clashing with fans after the Pirates upset West Virginia at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

The footage, which aired on ESPN and has led to an investigation, shows members of the Kinston police department and the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Department, ECU's Chief Scott Shelton said.

According to the university's contract with law enforcement agencies, Shelton has shared the identities of the officers and deputies with their supervisors, who would handle any disciplinary action.

A statement released Tuesday by the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office said one of five deputies from that agency was "involved in an altercation on the field while assisting other officers who were trying to subdue an individual."

Maj. Chris Hill described the actions of the Lenoir deputy visible in the video as "empty-hand stunning blows to the legs of the individual."

He said the sheriff's office was reviewing the video footage and interviewing deputies who were on duty at ECU Saturday in an attempt to determine what happened. No adminstrative action had been taken as of Tuesday afternoon.

Kinston police also plan an investigation into Saturday's postgame events. A statement released Tuesday afternoon said:

"The Kinston Department of Public Safety has provided support to the ECU Police Department for a number of years and has done so without incident. The investigation will be thorough and will include the actions of the officers and events leading up to the confrontation."

Shelton said ECU would reduce its reliance on outside law enforcement agencies for the remainder of the football season and would use only officers from agencies within Pitt County.

ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard said the university was reviewing game-day procedures to ensure the safety of fans and players. He asked the athletics department and student government to help in educating students about the dangers of rushing the field.

On Monday, ECU Athletic Director Terry Holland condemned the actions of both students and law enforcement officers, saying, “Regardless of the findings of the investigation into these incidents, the resulting ‘black eye’ is certainly a step backward for all good Pirates who have worked so hard to provide the very best game atmosphere and sportsmanship found anywhere in intercollegiate athletics.”

Holland said that while storming the field “looks like a lot of fun on television, I can tell you from first-hand experience that there are too many incidents that result in sometimes serious injury for anyone (particularly if you have a relative in the crowd) to believe that storming the field is 'just good fun' for college students. Such actions jeopardize the safety of many people, including our own coaches and players."

ECU's next home game, against the University of Houston, is scheduled for Sept. 27 at 3:30 p.m.

Reporter: Stacy Davis
Web Editor: Jodi Leese Glusco

Most Recent Comments

I was at the game and did not charge the field but I am also 33 years old and have out grown that. However, this is the first home game since beating three ranked teams and we could not help wanting to "celebrate". After all, the song "Celebration" was playing at the sound of the final wistle that did not help the situation. Maybe they will install fences higher than 3 feet to keep students from charging the field. They did a great job of dropping the goal posts and really that is all they should of done "Protect the posts" after the flood gates opened. It is a lesson to be learned. All these kids were doing is running out in the middle of the field, jumping up and down and giving out hugs and high fives! GO PIRATES ARRRRRGGGHHH!

Yeah, thats a great idea. And lets put cameras on I-40 and each driver that is speeding...even 1 mph over...we'll fine them too. Maybe they won't think its so fun then to put others in danger.

OK, my first coment was blocked so I will try this again. Maybe we should identify all the students who stormed the field for doing something they should NOT have been doing and fine them about 1K. Not many students can afford that and maybe they will not think it so much fun to put so many others in danger.

Once again I'll say, crowd control takes professionals. If students (or anyone else) is out of control, then it takes control and discipline to manage the situation. Did we not learn anything from Kent State in 1970? When LEO's react in a way that plays into the anger of others, that's a recipe for disaster. Crown control takes a controlled, unified effort that is intended to display coordination and a futile effort to resist. When a LEO bocy-slams a student and starts whaling the krap out of him, he is wide open for being ganged up on by others in the crown. The cop got lucky in this instance.

It's not ABOUT the students; it's about the total breakdown of police control contracted to protect everyone else.

Bad little piggies!

I was raised in eastern nc and I live in the triangle. I went to a elite SEC school. Every Saturday there was always a big game.Majority of your big time SEC elite football schools don't allow fans on the the field at all! People have been seriously hurt,paralyzed, and killed! I totally understand that you won a big game, but at the end of the day you still got 9 more to go. Being from the Crystal Coast I was very excited to see ECU Win! Like the old saying goes act like you been there before! I Think the LEO's were very out of line! I've worked as a LEO and now work in personal security dealing with large crowds, I know for a fact that ECU Campus Police told all LEO's if fans storm the field just step back and let them do it! The LEO's are clearly out of line and so are the students!

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