STATE COLLEGE — On Sunday, Feb. 9, State College police ordered the dispersal of an “unlawful assembly” on Beaver Avenue, following the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win.
Penn State students received an email via the Penn State alert system, threatening “persons remaining in the area may also be subject to other police action including the use of kinetic energy projectiles and chemical agents.” The message was sent by Chief John Gardner.
“Police monitored the street takeover until the crowd began removing traffic control devices, climbing streetlights and climbing on cars parked along the street. Police utilized a public address system and Penn State University alert to notify the assembly to disburse,” a press release from the State College Borough on Monday, Feb. 10, noted.
Despite the alert, the street was closed from about 10:40 p.m. until about 11:45 p.m. after police were able to clear the crowd from the road.
At 10:43 p.m., PennDOT advised motorists of a “traffic disruption” on East Beaver Avenue. The crowd was in large part between McAllister and Hiester streets but extended down much of East Beaver Avenue.
“At 10:55 p.m., police began clearing the roadway from West to East, completing this process at 11:30 p.m. The police presence, accompanied by verbal instructions, were successful in accomplishing this process. No chemical agents were deployed. No physical arrests were made. No injuries were reported,” the press release from the Borough continued.
At the State College Borough Council’s meeting on Monday, Feb. 10, it was reported that the State College Public Works assessed potential damage including two light poles, a parked car and multiple street signs. While the cost of the damage to the privately owned vehicle is not yet known, public damage caused is estimated at just under $3,000.
“State College Public Works is still assessing potential damage to light poles and street signs,” the press release said.
“Police will attempt to utilize photos of these events to identify those responsible for these crimes.”
The Centre County Gazette’s Danielle Blake contributed to this report.
