Morgantown police were called to Spruce Street just before 3 p.m. The rowdy crowd had blocked the road, making it impossible for the city’s public works employees to run the snowplows. As officers tried to clear the streets, some in the crowd threw bottles and rocks at them, police and university officials said.

“We had winter sports activities that turned into criminal behavior and violence,” Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston told the Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia University’s student newspaper. “They started attacking city workers as they plowed the streets.”

AD

AD

Preston said up to 900 people had gathered on the street and at front porches.

Officers began firing pepper balls. Videos of the chaos show police firing into the crowd as students ducked, cussed and yelled.

“You’re crazy!” one can be heard screaming.

“Don’t do that!” another said.

The police department said officers fired pepper balls into buildings' walls, above the crowd, so that the powder would fall and cause people to scatter.

But many refused to clear the street, officials said. By 3:50 p.m., the police department declared the incident a riot and ordered the crowd to leave.

It did not work, police said.

Officers then used a long-range acoustic device, a speaker that blares loud and steady noise, to drive the students away.

AD

It still did not work.

Police said someone set debris on fire in the middle of the street, causing even more chaos.

AD

Officers kept the device playing. Later, they fired two rounds of smoke grenades onto the street, causing the crowd to quickly disperse, police said.

The street, which was littered with dozens of bottles of alcohol, was cleared by 5 p.m.

One person had a minor bruise that didn’t require medical assistance, police said. No other injuries were reported.

No one has been arrested or charged, though that could change after the police department reviews body-camera footage, surveillance video, social media posts and witness statements, officials said. The department will also assess the officers' use of force. No officers engaged physically with the students, officials said.

AD

West Virginia law does not allow drinking in public places, including highways, streets, alleys and public garages.

“We remind our students that our actions should represent our Mountaineer values. Behave responsibly, be accountable and please comply with police, who want to keep our campus, city and all of our first responders safe through this weather,” the university said in a statement.