Police arrest 11 during HOWL
Two officers from the Utah State University Police Department officers were assaulted at the HOWL Saturday night, according to USUPD records.
Capt. Steve Milne of the USUPD said he hadn’t seen assaults at the HOWL in the past.
“Usually it’s just the intoxication calls,” Milne said. “This time we had two separate calls with assault on police officers.”
In one of the assaults, a student wanted to get inside the building but was asked to wait, Milne said. The student wasn’t cooperating and then shoved one of the officers. A fight broke out as the officer started to arrest the man. Two event staff members tried to help the officer with the fight; While helping, one of the event staff members was bitten on the arm by the student. The student was arrested for assault on a police officer, aggravated assault for biting the staff member and intoxication.
Another student was arrested because he attempted to prevent the officer from arresting his friend, the student arrested for shoving the officer and biting the staff member, Milne said.
“That guy’s buddy was trying to pull the officers off,” Milne said.
The student was arrested for interfering and obstruction.
The other individual arrested for assaulting a police officer was not a student of USU.
According to USUPD records, the person was also charged with obstructing justice for interfering with a police officer that was arresting someone. The person also received a charge for being a minor in possession of alcohol.
Milne said the USUPD consider assault as a lot more serious than intoxication.
“Now you’re going just from being sloppy drunk to combative,” Milne said.
A normal assault is a class B misdemeanor and is punishable with up to six months in jail or a fine of $1,000 Milne said. Assaulting a police officer is a class A misdemeanor and is punishable with up to a year of jail time and a $2,500 fine.
In total, there were 11 arrests throughout the HOWL. Of those arrests, six were male, five were female; three were students at USU and eight were not, Milne said. Three of the arrests were conducted by the Logan City Police Department.
Milne said most of the crimes that have occurred at the Howl this year and in previous years were not by students of USU.
The other arrests the nigh of the HOWL were all alcohol-related, Milne said.
Milne said people shouldn’t drink alcohol before attending the HOWL and they shouldn’t bring alcohol with them.
“Don’t drink if you come to this event,” Milne said. “We just draw zero tolerance to that.” Utah State Police Chief Steven Mecham echoed Milne’s words about alcohol at the HOWL.
“Just don’t drink,” Mecham said. “Generally we have no problems unless it’s alcohol-related.”
In addition to the 11 arrests, officers responded to five medical assists and one controlled substance call that did not result in an arrest, according to USUPD records.
Milne said the USUPD had medical staff at the HOWL. The reason for this was to get people the medical attention they needed faster.
Milne said ASUSU paid to have two Emergency Medical Technicians at the howl at the request of the USUPD.
In previous years at the Howl, police officers called the fire department when a person needed medical attention.
“I think that helped tremendously because the response time was much quicker,” Milne said.
Milne said most of the medical assists were because of heat exhaustion or people feeling faint while dancing in the Ballroom.
The crime level at Saturday’s HOWL was about the same as in years past, Milne said.
Officers from the USUPD, LCPD and North Park Police Department worked the event, along with three USU Fire Marshalls, Mecham said.
– blaze.bullock@aggiemail.usu.edu