Following an outdoor party-turned-riot that led to 55 arrests at UMass Amherstthis past weekend, the university has brought on Boston’s former police commissioner to review the events. Police donned riot gear and used pepper pellets to control the 4,000 partiers at Saturday’s Blarney Blowout.
According toa university release, former Boston police commissioner Edward Davis will conduct a comprehensive review of the campus, police and community preparation and response. About 100 students marched across campus Tuesday demanding an apology from Amherst police for what some students are calling excessive use of force.
“Bottom line is people need to behave well and do the right thing, said campus spokesman Ed Blaguszewski. “But if there are cases regarding excessive force then those need to be looked at.”
Police reported being hit by bottles, cans and snowballs. Davis was Boston’s police commissioner for seven years and led the department through the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers.
