Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
According to Swarthmore Chief of Police Brian Craig, an officer doing a routine patrol at approximately 12:15 AM on Sunday the 18th saw a student wearing only boxer shorts and a t-shirt in the driveway of Paces. The officer noticed that the student, a senior, “seemed to be unsteady on his feet… as the officer approached there was a strong odor of alcohol.”
When the officer asked the student his name and date of birth, he allegedly provided a false name and “was slurring his words.” The officer called Public Safety at approximately 12:35 AM, according to Director of Public Safety Owen Redgrave. Public Safety could not identify the name that the student had given and could not verify that he was a student at the college as a result.
According to Craig, the student was informed that giving a false name was a crime and was arrested for public intoxication. Once he was brought to the station, the student allegedly began to resist the officers and was handcuffed to the bench. He was again informed that giving false information could result in a charge and eventually gave the correct name. The student allegedly requested to use the restroom, and once he returned he “refused to comply… he actively resisted and we had to physically restrain him,” including being sprayed with a chemical agent to gain control.
“The paramedics were called to determine that he was OK,” said Craig, and the student was taken to the station in Media and was arraigned at 10:30 AM the next morning. The student was charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, false identification, and simple assault. He declined to comment on the allegations. [The charge of assault was later dropped; the student paid fines for two summary offenses.]
According to Redgrave, at 1:10 AM on the 18th “a student came to Ben West and gave us a report of an incident which happened at Delta Upsilon thirty minutes earlier… a student was intoxicated and assaultive to other students there and also caused property damage to some windows in DU.” Public Safety arrived later to confirm the reports of property damage, but was not called to the scene itself. “We are still investigating,” said Redgrave, “the intital report indicated that this person struck a number of students, but Public Safety has received no further complaints at this point.”
At 1:54 AM, Public Safety received a call about a student on Whittier Place because, according to Craig, “friends were concerned about his behavior.” The police arrived on scene at 2:03 AM and allegedly “saw an individual running on Whittier Place. He was instructed to stop but continued.” The student was physically subdued and handcuffed, and allegedly “had a strong odor of alcohol and needed the assistance of officers to walk.” He was arrested for public drunkenness and taken to the station.
According to Craig, he was “uncooperative” when the police attempted to take a preliminary breath test and was transported to Media and “housed until he became sober for his own protection” before being released at 10:30 AM. The student, also a senior, received citations for public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and criminal mischief, this last because he allegedly damaged an officer’s uniform while resisting. The student declined a request for an interview.
The hearings for both students have yet to be set.
As per the policy of the Daily Gazette, the names of the involved students were removed from this article at the conclusion of the semester.