Kent: Partygoers face judge after celebration turns into a riot

KENT -- Several people arrested when a party in Kent grew into a riot Saturday faced a judge Monday morning.

More than 50 people were arrested at the gathering, known as "College Fest," on East College Avenue.

Kent police say half of those arrested were Kent State students. KSU says the party was a private gathering and not affiliated with the university.

Kent Police Chief James Peach says when officers tried to arrest a woman for underage drinking when she became uncooperative and shouting for the others at the party to help stop the arrest.

That's when police say people began to scream, threaten and then throw debris at officers, including bottles, rocks and bricks.

Chief Peach says when it became apparent that the 1,500 to 2,000 people at the party were not going to cooperate, mutual aid from surrounding cities was called.

That back-up included 120 to 130 personnel from Kent, Kent State, the Portage County Sheriff's Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Metro SWAT, Brimfield, Ravenna, and Brady Lake.

About a third of the crowd dispersed when asked to do so by authorities. Those who refused were arrested after several warnings.

At one point, a large fire was started in the street covering the entire width of the roadway. People were throwing debris including portions of stairs and porches into the fire. According to police, firefighters were blocked from reaching the fire and needed the assistance of law enforcement officers.

A 48-year-old Lakemore officer suffered a heart attack while responding to a mutual aid call to bring the disturbance under control. The officer died at his home. Officials are trying to determine if his death was related to the stress created by the riot.

Kent officers have placed black bands around their badges in a show of mourning and respect for their fellow officer.

Kent State is trying to determine which students were involved and says the students may be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs and could potentially face some disciplinary action.

Below is the text of a portion of KSU President Lester Lefton's message sent to the campus regarding the incident:

An event intended to celebrate the end of the semester grew out of control this weekend. While the event was a private party and not a university-sponsored activity, obviously many Kent State students were involved.

Today, university and community officials are exploring what happened and making plans to prevent an occurrence like this from happening in the future.

We are grateful that no one was seriously injured during the incident. And while the events are disappointing, they only strengthen our efforts to work hand-in-hand with the city to aid in the growth of the greater Kent community as we strive to be responsible neighbors.

We have enjoyed an outstanding level of town-gown cooperation in recent years, and our successful work will continue. The actions of those involved should not taint the wonderful work being done daily by diligent and committed Kent State students, faculty and staff.