UD’s St. Patrick’s Day revelry moves indoors after officers in riot gear push back crowds

DAYTON — UPDATE @ 7:34 p.m.

University of Dayton officials released a statement tonight regarding the decision to clear the large crowds in the student neighborhood.

>>MORE VIDEOS: Police in riot gear in UD neighborhoods  |  James Buechele on the scene in UD neighborhoods  |  Skyview of UD neighborhoods

“University of Dayton police and Dayton police determined that a large crowd blocking Lowes Street, throwing objects at police and others and not responding to police commands, presented an extremely dangerous situation on Saturday afternoon. Police orders to clear the street were not successful and police were withdrawn for safety reasons. Additional UD and Dayton police officers were called and moved to clear the street about 6:30 p.m. The street was cleared in about a half hour without incident. No one was arrested during the dispersal. A strong police presence will be in the student neighborhood Saturday night and on Sunday and if a similar crowd gathers, it will be ordered to disperse.”

UPDATE @ 7 p.m.

Police turned out in riot gear to disperse the St. Patrick’s Day revelry in the streets of the University of Dayton student neighborhood after students started throwing bottles and rocks at them, police said.

As police in crowd control gear were getting ready to walk down the street, a huge cheer went out for a Domino’s pizza delivery driver who brought a couple pies to a house nearby.

Other students started yelling at an officer who got out of the back of a SWAT vehicle. The officer said he’d rather be celebrating himself or at home watching NCAA tournament games.

With the streets clear and most students inside their homes, police were walking the streets, ordering stragglers who remained in yards and porches to go inside.

UPDATE @ 6:30 p.m.

Police cleared the streets of people in the student neighborhood, which were filled with a couple thousand students celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

Officers in crowd-control gear were walking the streets, ordering students who remain outside to go indoors and lock their doors.

>>MORE VIDEOS: Police in riot gear in UD neighborhoods  |  James Buechele on the scene in UD neighborhoods  |  Skyview of UD neighborhoods

EARLIER

Thousands of students are in the streets and front yards this afternoon, defying orders to leave or go inside.

The University of Dayton students, most wearing green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, took to the student neighborhood mostly in the Kiefaber Street area.

Dayton and University of Dayton officers in riot gear with shields in front blocked the street, using a loudspeaker to order students to return to their homes or leave the area.

Police order partying UD students to leave neighborhood or go into their homes Police order partying UD students to leave neighborhood or go into their homes

There were earlier reports of students throwing bottles, rocks and firecrackers, with some hitting officers according to the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center.

Vehicles were getting damaged, and some students had on football padding.

Around 5:30 p.m., there were 26 Dayton police cruisers with numerous Dayton police in riot gear. This was in addition to campus police on scene. There also were reports that police may be readying gas masks, possibly to deploy tear gas, according to scanner traffic.

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