Police probe New Hampshire pumpkin fest melee

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Police probe New Hampshire pumpkin fest melee
| October 20, 2014 | Updated: October 20, 2014 7:03pm

KEENE, N.H. (AP) — Local authorities in New Hampshire vowed Monday to prosecute the perpetrators of the violent disturbances near Keene's annual pumpkin festival that led to property damage and dozens of arrests and injuries over the weekend.

Keene Police Chief Kenneth Meola said also that college students who did nothing criminal but exercised "poor behavior" during the melee Saturday that overwhelmed police would be referred to their schools.

The parties around Keene State College coincided with the family-friendly Keene Pumpkin Festival, when the community tries to set a world record of the largest number of carved and lighted jack-o-lanterns in one place.

Police said social media helped draw a large number of outsiders and contributed to the mayhem. Police donned riot gear and used tear gas and pepper balls in trying to control the crowds, reaching up to about 2,000 at some places that afternoon, police said.

Col. Robert Quinn of the New Hampshire State Police said people not only threw empty cans and beer bottles at police but also hurled billiard balls, rocks, debris and bottles full of liquor.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/City-to-address-mayhem-near-pumpkin-fest-5834198.php

[Crowman1979]

1. Probably those "Free Keene" a-holes who started it.

[logosoco]

2. So, I go to this link and see a photo of four individuals standing on top of

an over turned car and a description in the article that calls this "poor behavior".

Interesting.

[uppityperson]

3. "melee"? How about riot? "poor behavior" is overturning a car, looting after breaking store windows?

[NobodyHere]

4. Overturning a car and looting are criminal acts.

The "poor behavior" phrase was aimed at people who didn't break the law.

[uppityperson]

5. Dang my poor skimming skills today. Thank you.

[paleotn]

6. They threw FULL liquor bottles?...

...what are they, nuts?! That just struck me as odd. Many, many moons ago, when I was an undergrad at a university in a dry county ( a dry region, really ), full liquor bottles were protected at all cost and treated with respect and aw.

[Vinca]

7. If you've been to Keene, you know how bizarro this incident is.

I was there earlier in the day at an estate sale and it was the peaceful New England town it always is. When I heard about the disturbance, I didn't believe it until I saw the video. Any KSU students involved are in big trouble. The college president plans to oust any identified in photos or video.

[heaven05]

8. oh please

just for news headlines. NOTHING will happen to the perps exhibiting "bad behavior" in looting, burning and turning over cars. All show. Smoke and mirrors.