UPDATE: Officers monitored event for several hours before crowd turned hostile, police say



KALAMAZOO, MI – Kalamazoo Public Safety and Western Michigan University police officers used tear gas shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday to break up a large crowd of people near the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and Redwood Avenue.



Officers responded after receiving reports of individuals getting into fights, throwing bottles and attempting to overturn an ice cream truck, Kalamazoo Public Safety Lieutenant Stacey Geik said.

"Public safety officers along with WMU established a police zone," he said. "People refused commands over the PA, and we utilized tear gas to disperse the crowd."

One student was arrested after throwing bottles at an officer, said Geik, who estimated the crowd at more than 1,000 people.

Tyler Dominowski, 21, was standing on the corner of Lafayette and Redwood when officers wearing riot gear began advancing toward the intersection, he said.

Officers came down Redwood and then circled around a house on the corner of the intersection, came out on Lafayette and began launching tear gas into the middle of the intersection, he said.

"They had about 10 riot officers and they just kind of walked through the tear gas and they all had masks on and they just kind of pushed people as they went through and you just see people dropping phones, crying, coughing just because of all the tear gas through there," Dominowski said. "It was absolute mayhem as soon as they started coming up and they just basically pushed up Lafayette and just kind of kicked everybody out of the road at that point."

Witnesses said that large groups of people were gathered near Lafayette and Redwood before the arrival of police as part of a celebration known as "House Crawl." This is the second year that the celebration has taken place and many witnesses said that this year has had the largest participation so far.