SBI to investigate ECU post-game incidents

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SBI to investigate ECU post-game incidents

East Carolina fans jump down to the field to celebrate the Pirate's 24-3 win over West Virginia on Sept. 6, 2008.

Sep 12, 2008

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Greenville, N.C. — The State Bureau of Investigation said Friday that agents would look into reports that law enforcement officers used excessive force on East Carolina University fans after last weekend's football game.

Separately, Conference USA fined ECU $10,000 for violating the league's sportsmanship policies.

During the post-game celebration of ECU's 24-3 victory over then-No. 8 West Virginia, fans stormed the field of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Fans said some officers used excessive force to halt the rush to the field, and some videos have shown an unidentified officer throwing a fan to the ground and another unidentified officer repeatedly punching a fan while on the ground.

ECU Police Chief Scott Shelton said that, because of the various law enforcement agencies that provided security at the game, it was appropriate for an independent office to conduct the investigation. ECU police were assisted at the game by officers from the Greenville, Winterville and Kinston police departments and by sheriff's deputies from Pitt and Lenoir counties.

Shelton said his department had identified police officers and deputies shown in video clips of incidents after the game. ECU has forwarded that information to the appropriate agencies, which will determine possible discipline, he said.

Shelton didn't identify the officers, citing personnel laws and regulations.

After the SBI completes its investigation, Pitt County District Attorney Clark Everett will decide whether to bring charges, Shelton said.

Conference USA's sportsmanship policies prohibit public access to competition areas. In addition to the fine, the league said ECU could face a suspension of future hosting privileges.

The action of the fans was “clearly in violation” of the league's sportsmanship standards, according to a letter that league Commissioner Britton Banowsky sent Thursday to ECU Athletic Director Terry Holland.

In addition to an increased fine, any repetition of such an incident in football or any sport could also result in the suspension of hosting privileges for conference championship competition.

“In June 2008, the conference adopted a post-game policy to ensure the safety of visiting players and officials is maintained,” Banowsky said in a statement. “That cannot be achieved when fans are celebrating on the field in the presence of the visiting team.

“As is the case in every conference, we expect all 12 of our members to take the steps necessary to create a safe environment at their events. It is both a reasonable expectation and an important one.”

Both Holland and ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard issued statements in support of the policy.

“Our first concern at any of our athletics events is the safety of the fans and the participants,” Ballard said. “We are committed to making any changes necessary to enhance safety at these events and to follow Conference USA mandates.”

Conference USA policy states that “institutions are responsible for the conduct of spectators at events that they are hosting and that spectators should not be permitted on the field of play until the visiting team and officials have made safe transition to the locker room.”

Shelton said ECU would no longer use officers from law enforcement agencies outside Pitt County to provide security at games.

Most Recent Comments

Having attended many ECU games and when I say many ,meaning every home football game for ECU in the past 4 years, I have experienced many cases where officers abuse the privilage of wearing a police badge. Many of the officers at ECU games look for trouble. If I was an officer standing in the way of 40,000 people coming onto the field to murder someone, wait, celebrate a victory, I think I would get out of the way. To me that is common sense, but wait, the female officer was wearing a badge so she thought she was made of steel. If you notice the "smart" officers were getting out of the way of the crowd to let kids have some fun. I bet if you ask 90% of the officers at that game they would not mind people celebrating on the field, however, you have that 10%...well we will save that for a different post.

"What about the kid that was slammed picked up 4 feet from the ground and then slammed down? Was that kid putting a police officers life in danger?"--

I'm not going to argue every single case here but I'll give you one example, and then you can judge for yourself. What you don't realize is that the guy who got slammed onto the ground had just run over a female police officer who was giving him the command to stop. Of course, the media is going to push this story against the officers like they always do. Sooo, they won't mention that and they won't show that part of it. You are clueless, and unless you were there, you are speculating and following the media reports like a sheep. So I guess running over a police officer isn't a big deal, and disobeying an order isn't a big deal because after all, ECU won the game. What's wrong with a little celebration even if it means assaulting an officer to do so? Give me a break. At least have your facts straight before you spew.

Alright, I understand that MAYBE the fans got out of hand. However, it's not the first or the last game where players storm the field. No one was injured except the people attacked by the persons there to protect them. And aside from the intelligence of the fans, let's say someone had committed a real crime like rape, or murder... even in the case of breaking real LAWS not just RULES it's is morally irresposible to punch someone that is in your custody, restrained and face down on the ground. Absurd!!! If you witnessed this happening to a shoplifter in the Wal-mart parking lot EVERYONE would cry foul and rightfully so. A clear abuse of power. And finally, how are these unidentified officers? One of them, the puncher, is clearly identifiable from the Lenoir County Sheriff's office. I know him BY NAME and I am sure other viewers do too... So what's the hold up? That's not UNIDENTIFIED!

Leo NC - I missed the headline where people were seriously injured because of people storming the field. That's right, Nobody was injured. Yes it is your job to enforce the law, however, it is not your job to repeatedly beat a kid that already has 4 officers on him. I think if I was getting beat over and over again while I was being held down by 4 other officers I would be resisting. What about the kid that was slammed picked up 4 feet from the ground and then slammed down? Was that kid putting a police officers life in danger? Was the kid laying on the ground getting pounded putting peoples life in danger? I didn't think so. Maybe the police department should spend more money getting officers in shape so they can tactfully apprehend a person; or maybe they should remove that large "S" that they think they wear on their chest?

Having a big win doesn't give the students an excuse to act like morons. There is no more excuse in doing this than stupid people having riots after their team wins the championship. The only thing this kind of thing does is show the lack of true sportsmanship and respect these days. These punk kids have no respect for their elders, for the law, for the rules and for themselves. It's all about me me me.

Someone tell me, how big of a win do you need to justify doing what these students did?

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