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Officers pelted by bottles at party near Fleming Drive

The infamous Fleming Drive has made news headlines once again.
On Halloween morning, London police responded to calls about a party in the area of 280 Thurman Cir., near Fleming Drive. Officers arrived on the scene to face partygoers who chanted anti-police slogans and threw beer bottles, according to police reports.
A police media release described the scene as “a large tumultuous crowd of approximately 500 people.”
After midnight, officers responded to a second call when paramedics were unable to reach an injured and unconscious male because of the crowd.
“I remember I was trying to walk home at one point, and then all I hear are bottles smashing beside me […] It was pretty crazy,” recalled Coulton Williams, a first-year student at Fanshawe studying electrical techniques.

A total of 22 people were arrested for unlawful assembly and one male was charged with assaulting a police officer.
Ward 3 councillor Bernie MacDonald called the incident a disgrace to Fanshawe College and London.
“I think [the offenders] should take off their diapers and grow up. I would call them students, but I think they’re children,” he said.
“This was the worst incident of public disorder and unlawful assembly we have experienced in that area to date, possibly the worst the London Police Service has ever faced,” Amy Phillipo, media relations officer for LPS, said.
She confirmed officers were forced to don protective helmets after being “pelted” with various debris including beer bottles, rocks and chunks of wood.
Some individuals are questioning the accuracy of the police reports and media coverage.
Fanshawe Student Union president Jabari Cooper said police reports, which noted 500 attendees at Saturday’s incident, were exaggerated.
He also dispelled rumours of cars being overturned. According to Cooper, it’s the false coverage that is harmful to students’ reputation.
“When you look in the London Free Press, they have some things printed as fact [that aren’t] […] and it really looks bad on our students and our community,” he added.
Williams also questioned police practices. “I got thrown to the ground; I got attacked by a cop, but I was just trying to walk home,” he said.
This is not the first time the Fleming Drive area has been the focus of police intervention. The student neighbourhood made headlines in 2007 when students responded to police by throwing beer bottles. One male was restrained through the use of a taser.
In the past, the City has responded to such incidents by implementing programs that tighten bylaw enforcement in student neighbourhoods during troublesome periods such as Orientation Week.
Despite increased presence for the Halloween weekend, London police deployed extra officers to help control the Thurman Circle incident.
“They had to bring in every officer they could. Some worked over six and seven hours overtime,” MacDonald said.
He estimated the incident cost taxpayers upwards of $250,000 for extra police presence and clean up.
He called on Fanshawe College president Howard Rundle to take a harsher approach to troublesome students. “If he doesn’t toughen up we’ll end up with a full scale riot in London.”
Jeff Sage, manager of marketing and communications at Fanshawe College, said students could be facing academic as well as criminal repercussions.
After a review of their code of conduct last year, Fanshawe now has the ability to discipline any student who poses a risk to the health and safety of campus.
“If there’s a severe criminal charge to a Fanshawe student that poses a threat to our safe college community, we will take immediate action,” Sage said.
Despite the extra measures taken, Sage is not concerned Saturday morning’s incident will affect Fanshawe’s overall image.
“We’ve been feeling good about student conduct this year […] things have been way better than in past years, in terms of student behaviour off-campus,” he said.

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