The Associated Press
DURHAM, N.H. (AP) -- The chief of police says tougher laws might be needed to deal with student disturbances such as the one that broke out near the University of New Hampshire last month.
Chief Dave Kurz said he was disturbed to learn that charges had been reduced against a 20-year-old woman who was one of seven people arrested during the October incident after the Red Sox lost a playoff game.
During the incident, police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Several people hurled bottles and rocks at police and set off fireworks. Police also said some people shot paintball guns at them during the melee.
Seven people, six of them students at the university, were arrested. Authorities estimated 2,500 people rushed the streets during the incident. A similar incident in the spring led to 87 arrests.
This week a county prosecutor determined there was not enough evidence to pursue felony riot charges against the woman, a former UNH student. The charges against her have been reduced to misdemeanors.
Kurz said he expects the same thing to happen to the other six who were arrested, and said weak laws might be to blame.
“Our plan is to sit down with local legislators and talk about laws we can look into to remedy this,” he said. “If there’s a deficit or deficiency, at least we should present this to the Legislature for consideration.”