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Email:
cedarfesttips@elpolice.com
 
Tips Hotline:
1-877-ELPDTIP

2008 Cedar Fest Information

On Saturday, April 5, 2008 the East Lansing Police Department (ELPD) and other area law enforcement agencies responded to a gathering of an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people within the 200 block of Cedar Street in the City of East Lansing. The event, Cedar Fest, has been deemed a riot and an ongoing investigation has ensued to find, arrest and charge individuals who committed criminal acts during the course of the event.

Crowd Estimate 

• 3,000 to 4,000 in the 200 Block of Cedar Street
  
  

Number of Police Officers 

• East Lansing Police - 36
• MSU Police - 15
• Ingham County Sheriff - 3
• Lansing Police – 18
• Michigan State Police Metro Squad
- 8
• Total - 80 Police Officers
  
  

Number of Firefighters

• East Lansing Firefighters – 18
• Meridian Fire Department – 2
• Lansing Fire Department – 4
• Total - 24
  
  

Number of Arrests

• 52 for various offenses
• 28 have been identified as MSU Students
  
  

Number of Appearance Citations

• 48 Tickets for various offenses
• 24 have been identified as MSU Students
  
  

Number of Munitions used 

• 24 smoke grenades
• 20 "flash bangs"
• 20 stingball grenades
• 13 rounds of CS teargas
  
  

Damaged Police Cars

• Windshield smashed – ELPD P.A.C.E. truck
• Left Rear window smashed MSU Police Car
  
  

Number of Reported Fires

• 3
  
  

The East Lansing Fire Department responded to 36 service calls during Cedar Fest, of which 28 were medical requests. The majority of the EMS runs were in response to inebriated individuals and individuals who had been struck with blunt objects, such as bottles, cans, rocks and bricks. ELFD was unable to immediately respond to fire and medical calls due to crowd issues. Patients had to be moved to safe locations.

Number of thrown bottles, cans, rocks and bricks

• Hundreds.
• Nearly every police officer reports being struck by a flying object at some point during the night.
  
  

Time Line

• 10:25 p.m. Crowd takes over street at Cedar and Watersedge.rown.
• 12:12 a.m. Officer struck by fireworks in the 200 block of Cedar.
• 1:27 p.m. Fire reported at River and Victor.
• 1:23 a.m. Request for additional units at Cedar and Watersedge, crowd has become violent.
• 1:28 a.m. Request for even more units at Cedar and Watersedge- out of control.
• 1:32 a.m. Chief Wibert advises officers to pull out, mobilize for dispersing the crowd.
• 1:39 a.m. Chief Wibert advises to give announcement to disperse.
• 1:46 a.m. Announcement to disperse read four times on loudspeaker on north side of crowd.
• 1:58 a.m. Announcement to disperse read at River and Watersedge.
• 2:03 a.m. Announcement to disperse read twice at Cedar and Watersedge. (windshield smashed on PACE truck as this happens)
• 2:07 a.m. Smoke and flash bangs launched - little effect on crowd.
• 2:09 a.m. Fire reported in dumpster at 1128 Victor.
• 2:16 a.m. First tear gas deployed.
• 2:51 a.m. Fire reported in dumpster at 251 River.
• 3:11a.m. Cedar Village reported quiet- few people there.
  
  

Quotes from April 6, 2008:

"A few individuals are responsible for what occurred last night and we will hold them accountable. To paint their actions with a broad brush covering all MSU students is wrong. We know that a large percentage of the crowd had no affiliation with the University. At most, the crowd did not exceed 4,000 people. With a student population of approximately 45,000, it is obvious that well over 90 percent of MSU students do not participate in riots and were not present last night. I graduated from MSU and I am not ashamed for what happened. I’m proud that the vast majority of my fellow Spartans had something better to do." – East Lansing Police Chief Tom Wibert

"The men and women of ELPD and the other law enforcement agencies that assisted exercised restraint and excellent judgment in response to last night’s events," said Mayor Loomis. " It is important to note that they, together, kept the events from last night and this morning from becoming more tragic." –East Lansing Mayor Victor W. Loomis, Jr.

If convicted of a misdemeanor or felony involving riotous behavior, state statute authorizes the long term suspension of students. Not only can students be prohibited from returning to their college, they can also be prohibited from attending any other publicly funded institution of higher learning in the state. Refer to Michigan Compiled Law 769.1 g of The Code of Criminal Procedure Act 175 of 1927, www.michiganlegislature.org