DPS Forcibly Detains Student Near Leo's
UPDATED: 8:32 p.m., April 27, 2009
A student was charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly forcing his way into O’Donovan Hall on Friday, attempting to steal a cake and resisting arrest, according to Department of Public Safety Crime Prevention Coordinator Sgt. Joseph Smith.
“The suspect, a student, is alleged to have forced his way through line at the dining hall, where he attempted to steal a cake and then ran when DPS officers arrived and tried to stop him. He was caught, whereupon he resisted arrest and attempted to escape. The student, who appeared to be intoxicated at the time, stated he did it as part of an initiation rite,” Smith said in an e-mail.
At 6:05 p.m. Friday, two DPS officers sprinted out of O’Donovan Hall toward the suspect, who was standing near the entrance to McShain Lounge. One officer bent over, seized the suspect and pulled his legs out from under him, causing the suspect to land on his back on an asphalt path as a crowd of at least 10 students looked on. The suspect rolled over onto his stomach, where he remained for about five minutes while the officers stood over him. The officers then handcuffed him and led him to a bench in the Southwest Quad.
GERMS responded to the scene and emergency medical technicians were still treating the suspect 30 minutes after he was first detained. DPS officers had removed the handcuffs from the suspect by this time. Smith said the suspect sustained a minor scrape on his arm while being apprehended.
“Officers are trained in both the legal and procedural components which comprise a physical arrest,” Smith said. “They are trained through classroom theory and practical application in the police academy. These skills are reinforced through periodic in-service training.”
Smith said the Metropolitan Police Department was not notified of the incident.
Ripai Suru, an O’Donovan Hall employee who was swiping students’ GOCards at the entrance to the dining hall at the time of the incident and was observed talking to a DPS officer shortly after the incident, declined to comment for this report. Smith said DPS officers were summoned to O’Donovan Hall as a result of a complaint and request for help by dining hall staff.
Stay tuned to www.thehoya.com/news as further details emerge.
Apr 25 2009 at 6:23 p.m.
apparently the rumor is that the suspect was kicked out of Leo's for trying to steal a cake...
Apr 25 2009 at 6:42 p.m.
Dear god I hope it was Wyman Su. That would be awesome.
Signed,
Simon Wu.
Apr 26 2009 at 4:44 a.m.
Apparently this kid was caught trying to steal a pre-made leos cake with some friends, and made to leave leos. He was hanging around outside waiting for his friends to come out, then was tackled and eventually arrested, taken to jail, and charged with loitering.
Apr 26 2009 at 6:12 a.m.
Re: Proportional Response,
How do you know this? If you, or anyone else, has credible information about this incident, please contact city@thehoya.com.
Apr 26 2009 at 11:11 a.m.
This article is ridiculous. If you didn't have enough information to write a logical article about a police action, it shouldn't have been published. Also, the way in which you describe the police action is ludicrous ... as if the cops just decided to run up and tackle some poor guy.
The Hoya isn't a very professional newspaper ... sometimes I wonder if I accidently visited Georgetown Day School's newspaper.
Apr 26 2009 at 6:27 p.m.
Re: mjw064,
It's easy to criticize behind a veil of anonymity on the Internet. This article is logical; granted it is not complete, which is why we say to stay tuned for more details. DPS doesn't normally grant access to the crime log over the weekend, although I was able to check it today anyway and there was still nothing listed for that date and time. We published the article with the facts that we had at the time, which in themselves were newsworthy. There is something to be said for breaking news as soon as possible, which is why we published the article before we obtained the police report.
Apr 26 2009 at 10:33 p.m.
but there's no point to the article, Brian. There must have been someone who could tell you what happened. If not, wait until they do before publishing the story.
Apr 27 2009 at 12:44 p.m.
As a recent graduate, I find it most distressing that no one has written an article on the significance of Ripai's move from Darnall to Leo's. The man was the Altagracia of the West Side of Campus for years, and now he's forced to go head-to-head with the AG herself. Now that's a story worth running!
Apr 27 2009 at 7:39 p.m.
It must have been a long time since you were on campus. Darnell Cafe closed three years ago...
The days of high-top tables, New South student date nights at Darnell, baby making music, and two student dining locations are long gone.
The bar in Leavey Center took out the pool tables and there is a full Starbucks in the former "Hoya Court" too.
Apr 28 2009 at 3:49 a.m.
I think what DPS did was fantastic. Too many people on campus think that being a student = being above the rules (or at least they think that way until they enter the wider world of post-college). There are many things that most of society regards as totally unacceptable that happen at Georgetown on a weekly basis with little or no comment/surprise (theft, public urination, extreme public intoxication, brawls, destruction of property, etc.)
So good. I'm glad they slammed his a$@# on the floor and he should be arrested and sentenced. Stealing is stealing is stealing. Being both drunk and an idiot is no excuse, morally or in the eyes of the law.
Apr 28 2009 at 2:03 p.m.
Hoyalust--
I'm gonna guess your 19 years old because anyone who has spent 15 minutes in "the wider world" will tell you that public urination, extreme public intoxication, and destruction of property are all common out here, too. It doesn't make them any more right, but don't act like the campus is just a bastion of deplorable behavior that would never happen after graduation. It does happen. Take a walk through Chinatown any Friday and Saturday night.
Apr 28 2009 at 2:15 p.m.
"I think what DPS did was fantastic"
Yes, tackling someone for stealing a cake is brilliant. Just like cops who tase people for speeding tickets and beat people for "disorderly conduct".
This is a prime example of losers with minimal college education becoming cops and abusing their power. Yes, not all cops are bad. But none of the good ones turn in the bad ones and always hide behind the blue line.
I'll spare anyone the time of responding with "you'll need the cops and won't be so tough" with the fact a cop showing up after I have been shot does me little good and my dogs and NRA membership will do me much more good in the long run.
May 02 2009 at 1:44 a.m.
Good story 'bout bad behavior ( both the student and the security ) but seriously - how good is the cake!!!
May 03 2009 at 7:54 p.m.
My name is Michael J. Wilhelm. I am no longer anonymous.
May 03 2009 at 7:58 p.m.
And now the story makes sense. The guy was "tackled" because he was resisting arrest and running from the police. NOT because he stole a cake. Lastly, I don't see how such a minor police action is considered breaking news. Grow up and welcome to the real world. As DPS transforms into a more traditional law enforcement agency under its new leadership, you will see more police actions such as this and your campus crime rates will in turn drop significantly.
May 05 2009 at 12:58 p.m.
Just blame Aramark for this incident. They are to blame for everything...sort of like George Bush.
May 15 2009 at 12:46 p.m.
Absolutely, completely agree with this post:
"This is a prime example of losers with minimal college education becoming cops and abusing their power. Yes, not all cops are bad. But none of the good ones turn in the bad ones and always hide behind the blue line"
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