Police break up "riot" near West Virginia University that school says started as "playful time in th

Police break up "riot" near West Virginia University that school says started as "playful time in the snow"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-virginia-university-riot-started-out-as-playful-time-in-the-snow-2019-02-01/

Police called an incident Friday near West Virginia University a "riot" after the crowd began throwing glass bottles and rocks at officers after being told to disperse so snow plows and salt trucks could get through. "It is unfortunate that what began today on Spruce Street as a playful time in the snow, turned into a dangerous and threatening situation for students and law enforcement officers alike," university officials said in a statement.

West Virginia University officials said a large crowd gathered in Morgantown near the school's campus after classes were canceled due to frigid temperatures and snow. Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston told student newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum, that he estimated the crowd to be between 750-900 people.

Police said the crowd was consuming alcohol openly, sledding, snowboarding and blocking the roadway, CBS Pittsburgh reported. School officials told the crowd to move so snow plows and salt trucks could get down the street.

"We had winter sports activities that turned into criminal behavior and violence," Preston told the Athenaeum. "They started attacking city workers as they plowed the streets.

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