According to police reports, 84 people were arrested on Friday and Saturday. Only four of the arrests can be confirmed as KSC students.
KSC President Anne Huot noted in a Monday press release, “I would like to emphasize again, that the disturbances over the weekend do not represent a great many of the students who attend this college. I am proud of the positive contributions many of our students, faculty and staff offered to the community over the weekend.”
Celebrations surrounding the 2014 Pumpkin Fest descended into chaos beginning Friday Oct. 17 and continuing through Sunday Oct. 19. National news coverage as well as amateur video captured the situation, which escalated into rioting in the vicinity of Keene State College.
The rioting did not enter the footprint of Keene’s annual Pumpkin Fest, but instead occurred between Winchester St. and Davis St.
Large parties, some estimated by police statements to produce crowds of 1,000 people, were dispersed using non life-threatening tactics, according to Keene Police Department press logs. Police used pepper balls and tear-gas to break up large gatherings and riots. As the intensity of the parties escalated, party-goers threw bottles and cans, removed street signs, set couches on fire and flipped one vehicle, as well as damaging others. According to a City of Keene press release, over 49 different emergency service departments were called to respond to the incident, including the use of New Hampshire Police Department’s helicopter.
Students received urgent emergency notifications from the college president as Friday’s events continued. They read, “Ongoing disruptive behavior will result in significant disciplinary action,” as well as, “The number and size of gatherings tonight indicate unsafe conditions placing you and residents in harm’s way.”
Victoria Griggs, a KSC junior and graphic design major was one of those arrested. Griggs was charged with disorderly conduct. She was arrested at 11:15 p.m. on Friday Oct. 17. The KPD police log states she was taken into custody for standing in the roadway on Winchester St.
Griggs explained her side of the story, “Me and my friends went down to the end of Blake St. towards Winchester [Street]. We saw police cars and were wondering what was going on. I had a disposable camera. I wanted to incorporate lighting, possibly police lights, into my photography final. I was taking pictures with the camera because I wanted to see how they would look with a disposable camera.”
Griggs continued, “I backed up into the road to take a picture with my camera. I guess there was a police car behind me trying to back up. I then moved out of the roadway, went to the sidewalk and when I got to the sidewalk four officers pulled me away from my friends and told me I was being arrested for blocking the roadway. As I was trying to ask what I was blocking they told me to stop resisting and dragged me over to the police cars, put me against the hood, searched me and put me in the back of the police car.”
Griggs stated that sometime last year she had a similar encounter with one of the arresting officers. She said, “A friend of mine got in trouble for being in possession of marijuana. I was immediately the target of supposedly giving it to them. I was referred to as ‘the black friend’ in that incident [a year ago]. The same officer arrested me later that night [Pumpkin Fest].”
Several news outlets, including Boston.com’s Jordan Lebeau have compared the Keene riots to the events that unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri. The Ferguson riots were triggered by the shooting of 18 year-old African-American Michael Brown. Officer Darren Wilson, a white officer, shot Brown six times and triggered the Ferguson riots.
When asked if she felt her arrest was the result of profiling Griggs stated, “I don’t know. I don’t want to say it is because I hate that thought, but at this point I do feel like it might be.”
“I thought it was stupid that I was being arrested for what I was being arrested for. They were driving me to the police station and we were going down Davis [St.] and the whole sidewalk of Davis was empty but everyone was walking in the street.”
Griggs said, “Hearing them tell me to not resist was the most ridiculous thing too because four officers just came up and swept me away. I can’t resist, of course I’m going to tighten up when four people just grab me.”
“I also was not told my Miranda Rights,” Griggs said.
Griggs added, “Hopefully no more crazy Pumpkin Fest. Hopefully still Pumpkin Fest though. Pumpkin Fest was lovely, they were two separate issues.”
Senior KSC student Ashley DeFilippo witnessed the riots as they unfolded. She explained that the parties on Winchester Court were a different scene than the Pumpkin Fest celebration on Main Street. “It was two different worlds. During the riots we were literally sprinting from tear-gas. Then we turned onto Main Street and there was carnival music and no one knew what was going on,” DeFilippo recalled.
Brianna Enderson is a residence assistant in One Butler Court who witnessed the aftermath of one of Saturday’s major incidents. Enderson was on duty from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., which according to her, was when the Winchester Ct. incidents began and ended.
“We had a bunch of bloody students and residents coming in so we sent them to the ambulances that were across from our place,” Enderson said. She also said she saw a variety of injuries, but most seemed to be head injuries. “There were a lot of people hit in the head. I saw a girl with a bloody foot, a bloody hand,” she said.
KSC’s Department of Campus Safety has reported they continue to evaluate any leads and tips as they become available. Campus Safety officers are also working closely with other schools to identify any suspects that may have been involved in the events. A Campus Safety press release dated Monday, Oct. 20 stated, “Both UNH and Plymouth State are committed to assisting us in identifying any of their students that may have been involved and holding them accountable where possible.”
David Walsh can be contacted at dwalsh@keene-equinox.com
