Police Use Tear Gas to Break Up Wild Colorado State Block Party That Escalated Into a Riot

“We were going through telling people party's over, time to go, and we got a lot of cooperation until … we shut the music off. That completely turned the crowd,” said Capt. Jerry Schiager. “They started chanting 'f the police' and basically pushed the cops back down the street.”

Schiager said officers withdrew to Prospect, donned riot gear and re-entered the neighborhood. First rolling exploding rubber balls at the crowd's front row, and then firing pepper balls and setting off pepper spray and tear gas, officers eventually dispersed the crowd around 10:30 p.m. Officers reported having rocks and bottles thrown at them.

Partygoers leaving the area said the party had been advertised via Facebook all week long and drew hundreds of revelers who were drinking and chanting the CSU fight song as well as anti-University of Colorado slogans.

Anti-University of Colorado slogans, eh? Interesting. Also, here's a video:

 

More detailed report from the Collegian, CSU's student newspaper:

Police had arrived at the scene at 8:30 p.m. in response to noise complaints about the event, which at the time included 50 people. After Fort Collins Police Services addressed the crowd and departed from the scene, hundreds more flocked to the six to seven condos apparently still hosting the party, shouting ”F*** the police!” “Go CSU!” “Proud to be a Ram!” and “F*** CSUPD!” according to witnesses. Others saw partygoers climbing up streetlight poles, onto the roofs of multiple houses, and one car, swinging it back and forth, shouting “F*** CU!” and causing its roof and windshield to collapse.

 

Getting teargassed sucks, ya'll. Via:

“I got gassed so bad –– I couldn’t see, I couldn’t breathe. I just started running away,” said senior business major Max Firth. He had gone to the party with four or five friends, left the scene, and came back just as the police showed up. Right after arriving, he said a tear gas canister went off right next to him, covering his face and body in the toxic gas.

 

Requisite “aftermath” video:

 

If anyone at CSU a first hand account or more pics/videos, please drop me an e-mail: brandon@brobible.com

Pic via @Ben_Boucher on Twitter.

Brandon Wenerd is BroBible's publisher, writing on this site since 2009. He writes about sports, music, men's fashion, outdoor gear, traveling, skiing, and epic adventures. Based in Los Angeles, he also enjoys interviewing athletes and entertainers. Proud Penn State alum, former New Yorker. Email: brandon@brobible.com