Police, UI to review Cotton Club after-party

By Rachel Small

The cancellation and clearing of the Central Black Student Union’s Cotton Club after-party late Saturday night has prompted University police to review the incident in more depth to determine what, if anything, could have been done better, said University police chief Barbara O’Connor.

“There may be a combination of things we could do,” O’Connor said, adding that there also may have been nothing police could have done differently.

The event, held at Campus Recreation Center East, was canceled after fighting broke out in the line to enter the building. O’Connor said there were fights inside as well.

“I think it’s concerning from a police perspective as well as the students,” she said. “That’s why we need to do a review, and get all the facts out on the table.”

The decision to cancel the event came after multiple fights broke out, O’Connor said, adding that students may not have realized the extent of the disturbances.

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A 20-year-old man was arrested outside of CRCE after the event after attempting to elbow an officer in the face, according to the University’s police report.

“The fortunate piece of this is that no one was hurt and that only one arrest was made,” O’Connor said.

The office of the vice chancellor for student affairs will also be reviewing the incident to determine whether security issues, the venue or setup could be improved upon in the future, O’Connor said.

The Central Black Student Union, which hosted the event, met Monday to determine the proper response to the incident, said Kirsten Ruby, assistant director of housing for marketing. Ruby was not available for comment about the meeting at press time.

O’Connor said anyone with information on possible crimes, such as assault, that may have been committed Friday evening in or outside of the event should contact University police.