EAST LANSING, Mich. – Immediately following the Michigan State University men's NCAA Final Four basketball game on Saturday, April 6, a crowd gathered in the intersection of River Street and Waters Edge Drive in East Lansing.
Approximately 30 minutes after gathering, the crowd moved to the Grand River-Woodmere intersection and blocked the roadway. Soon after assembling on Grand River Avenue, the crowd began to tear down street signs and throw glass bottles into the air, effectively making the gathering a civil disturbance. The crowd is estimated to have consisted of 1,200 to 1,500 people at its peak.
Officers with the East Lansing Police Department (ELPD) and assisting agencies were on the scene and were successful in dispersing the crowd in its entirety without the use of chemical crowd management devices. ELPD and assisting agencies arrested several individuals for illegal activity at the gathering on Grand River Avenue and in other areas of the City of East Lansing. The East Lansing Fire Department (ELFD), ELPD and assisting agencies also responded to 10 small fires in other areas of the City. These fires consisted of small pieces of furniture and there were no significantly sized crowds gathered around these fires. Here are some statistics and additional details:
- Number of Arrests: 23; 22 misdemeanors and one felony
- Number of Fires: 10
- Property Damage: two street signs and one police van
Assisting agencies included the Michigan State Police, Michigan State University Police Department, Ingham County Sheriff’s Office (including the Mounted Unit), Eaton County Sheriff’s Office, Meridian Township Police Department, Lansing Police Department and Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.