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Trouble in Tucson Arizona fans take to streets after title game loss
Updated: Tuesday April 03, 2001 3:45 AM
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets Monday night to disperse University of Arizona fans who had overturned vehicles and set at least three on fire. Riot officers seemed to meet with little resistance, although they continued to move down the street in formation, banging their shields with their batons. By late evening, police had cleared out the area where most of the problems had occurred. Several people were apparently hit by rubber bullets though the extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. A reporter for Phoenix TV station KPHO, Donna Rossi, was slightly injured when she was hit by a piece of metal, though it was unclear what it was, the station said. "Everybody started going nuts when they started shooting," said Robert Thacker, a university student. "I saw they looted stores. It was like a war zone." Assistant Police Chief Roberto Villasenor described the violence as a riot as officers moved in to break up a crowd at a major intersection near the campus. An estimated 2,000 fans had spilled into the streets after Arizona lost the NCAA championship to Duke in Minneapolis. "Right now I'm just in shock," said Ian Tingen, another student. "I think what really started freaking out the kids was seeing all the police lined up and down the road." Arlene Leaf, owner of Tucson Thrift, which is in the area, said the windows of her shop had been broken in the melee. "It's just so very stupid, just sad and tragic," she said. "Right now I think of all the people in the world who have real problems and they're doing this over a game." Police said initially there was little problem and only a handful of minor arrests. But then about a 1,000 people jammed an intersection near the campus and a bar, and a motor home and least two other vehicles were burned, some after having been overturned. Two other cars have been reported overturned earlier, along with small fires in parking lots and elsewhere. "I thought it was all disgraceful," said student Samantha Devick. "The fire, the army of police." With the damage escalating, police in riot gear ordered the crowd to disperse and then moved in shoulder to shoulder. Students mostly gave way. One individual sat still in the middle of the street and was taken into custody. Police eventually began firing the stun grenades and rubber bullets to help disperse the crowd. At least one could be seen holding his head. One person reportedly was treated at a hospital for facial wounds from allegedly having been thrown into a window, and one officer suffered an ear injury, Villasenor said. Police Sgt. Judy Altieri said there was another gathering of people about at least a quarter mile from the center of the disturbance but had no details on what occurred there. Villasenor said six people were arrested on varied charges that included assault, trespass, criminal damage and disorderly conduct. Police cordoned off the entire campus earlier in the day by closing streets to vehicular traffic, a precaution to avoid having motorists trapped as some were during problems following the Wildcats' victory in the 1997 championship game. Villasenor said there had been several small fires along the main avenue and others at Jefferson Commons, a student housing area about four miles away. There also were reports of shots but no injuries at a bar on the edge of the campus, and some students set off fireworks, police and others said. Police measures were intended to avoid a repeat of the traffic tie-ups and raucous celebrations that occurred after Arizona beat Kentucky to win its only national championship. That year, revelers overturned at least one car, scrambled onto rooftops and shattered windows on homes and vehicles, including a police car. Police had an estimated 500 officers ready for postgame duty this year.
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