|
 A Dead Prez concert in Olympian, Washington ended with a riot early Friday morning (February 15) which resulted in a police car being overturned and looted.
According to local paper The Olympian, campus police at The Evergreen State College responded to reports of a fight at 1:30 a.m. Friday inside the building where Dead Prez were performing.
When police arrived a man was arrested, but concertgoers did not agree with the actions of the officer and it began to get ugly.
The paper reports that, from there, the crowd began to grow more aggressive, blocking the police car from exiting and taunting the officer.
"They didn't feel the arrest that was being made was fair," the arresting female officer said.
The large group surrounding the officer's car demanded the person be released. Concerned for her own safety, the campus officer called for backup and eventually released the unnamed individual. She did however take down his name and address, and he will be summoned to court at a later date.
After backup arrived, the helped the female officer out, but when one of the deputy's cars would not start, things became violent.
The crowd overturned the police car, broke the windows and started throwing rocks at the officers.
Shortly afterward, additional troopers and a SWAT team showed to help disperse the crowd. But in the confusion, a deputy's laptop and a radar gun were stolen.
Trooper Brandy Kessler of the Washington State Patrol told The Olympian after the riot that a member of Dead Prez encouraged the crowd into attacking the officer.
"They're taking one of our people. Go take care of it," said Kessler, paraphrasing what the rapper allegedly said. "It sounds like the band may have been encouraging them a little."
Despite the accusation, concertgoers said that the group member only told the crowd to get the officer's badge number and look after the man.
Following the arrest and riot, no further arrests were made.
|
