NCAA wins spark campus violence

Violent celebrations marked by arrests, injuries, bonfires and bottle-throwing followed NCAA tournament victories by Iowa State, Wisconsin and Purdue. <br><br>Thousands of fans poured into the streets

Friday, March 24th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Violent celebrations marked by arrests, injuries, bonfires and bottle-throwing followed NCAA tournament victories by Iowa State, Wisconsin and Purdue.

Thousands of fans poured into the streets of Campustown at Ames, Iowa, early Friday to celebrate Iowa State's win over UCLA in the round of 16.

One person sustained a minor head injury when he jumped in a lake. At least seven others were arrested. The charges included criminal mischief, public intoxication, theft and failure to disperse, officials said.

At West Lafayette, Ind., police fired tear gas into a crowd of students who set fires and damaged cars after Purdue's win over Gonzaga on Thursday night.

Three students face preliminary charges of disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement and another faces a public intoxication charge following the melee, which culminated with two bonfires set near Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium. There was $600 in damages.

In Wisconsin, hundreds of students marched to the Capitol in Madison to celebrate the Badgers' win over LSU. At the Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus, some in the crowd of about 800 hurled bottles at police in riot gear.

In Ames, police Captain James Robinson said the crowd began gathering about 11:15 p.m. Thursday, damaging vehicles and tearing down light poles. He said the estimated crowd of 3,000 paraded to the home of university president Martin Jischke, then to the football stadium.

Police said a crowd of about 5,000 celebrating students walked across Purdue's campus, causing minor property damage. Students turned over trash cans, damaged cars, pulled down a street sign and blocked traffic. One group entered the football stadium and hung from the goalposts.

About midnight, a group of 500-700 students built a bonfire out of limbs torn from nearby trees, then added other objects to the fire, campus police chief Linda Stump said.

About 30-40 police officers in riot gear were on hand. When officers decided the crowd was getting out of control, they fired at least five rounds of tear gas and the students dispersed, Stump said.

"The crowd was getting unruly," Bennett said. "The police acted with restraint, but went (in) at the right time. What you are looking for is whether the situation is getting worse or better, and in this case, it was getting worse."

Nearby, a group of about 100 people dragged a sofa into the street and set it ablaze with tree limbs.

Extra campus security will be on patrol at Purdue on Saturday when the Boilermakers play Wisconsin in the West Regional final.

In Oshkosh, police in riot gear kept a crowd of about 400 from getting out of hand. Some in the crowd threw bottles at officers who put on gas masks. Tear gas was not used.

"The Oshkosh police got a little anxious, but there was a good deal of restraint on all sides and no property was damaged," said Elliot Garb, assistant chancellor for student affairs at Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

In Madison, celebrators packed together, "body passing" some people as they made their way several blocks to the Capitol Square. There were no arrests, police said.