Police officers were forced to use tear gas to respond to a group of intoxicated West Virginia University students this week. The encounter between drunk students and local police took place shortly after the university announced the shutdown of campus due to the Wuhan coronavirus.

According to a report by a local news outlet, nine West Virginia University students face criminal charges after engaging in unruly behavior. Hundreds of intoxicated students gathered on a private street near the campus shortly after the university announced that a campus shutdown in response to the Wuhan coronavirus crisis.

The government: “Stay inside and practice social distancing” West Virginia:@5thyear pic.twitter.com/kcKjD3Hmgb — Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 15, 2020

First, local police officers warned students through a loudspeaker that they were engaging in an unlawful assembly. After the students ignored the officers’ demands for them to leave, the officers set off gas grenades. The ensuing chaos was captured on a smartphone and shared with local media.

In a statement, West Virginia University said that the students’ behavior was “not acceptable” during the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. The university announced that involved students will be subject to both criminal and university sanctions.

It is unfortunate that some students’ behavior turned into a dangerous and threatening situation for law enforcement officers and others. This is not acceptable. We remind our students that their actions should always represent our Mountaineer values. However, this is especially true during the current novel coronavirus outbreak. It is essential that our University and other community resources be available to respond to the rapidly changing challenges of this health crisis. Those students found to have been involved are subject not only to criminal charges, but also sanctions under WVU’s Student Conduct Code.

Breitbart News has reported extensively on the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus on American universities and colleges. Breitbart News reported on Thursday that students at Pomona College in California demanded that they be permitted to stay on campus during the shutdown.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more campus updates.