Use of mace by police in Columbus, Ohio, to disperse a crowd of local and international soccer fans following a July 31 match at Lower.com Field is being re-evaluated by a crowd management expert.
According to National Public Radio reporter George Shillcock and Ohio State University's WOSU, the Columbus Division of Police last month hired Clifford Stott of Keele University in the United Kingdom to help law enforcement find better ways to interact with rowdy sports crowds and protestors.
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Use of mace by police in Columbus, Ohio, to disperse a crowd of local and international soccer fans following a July 31 match at Lower.com Field is being re-evaluated by a crowd management expert.
According to National Public Radio reporter George Shillcock and Ohio State University's WOSU, the Columbus Division of Police last month hired Clifford Stott of Keele University in the United Kingdom to help law enforcement find better ways to interact with rowdy sports crowds and protestors.
Body camera footage obtained through a public records request by WOSU showed police at the game just before 10:30 p.m. when a call came in that someone had lit an object on fire. Several officers left the stadium and went toward a crowd of people. As police approached the large crowd, drums are heard beating.
Police reached the crowd, attending an international tournament game between the Columbus Crew and Mexico City's Club America, and immediately began telling them to disperse or they would be sprayed. In the center of the crowd, a man flew a large Club America flag and an object was on fire in front of him on the ground.
It is unclear from the video if mace was used by the Columbus Division of Police, but spokesperson Andres Antequera confirmed mace was used on the crowd. Antequera said no arrests were made.
After the crowd dispersed, some people are heard complaining to police that "there is kids" in the crowd. Another man approached police with a large cup of water and handed it to an officer. The officer poured the water on the flaming object and called the man "a life saver."
According to Shillcock's reporting, a citizen complaint from Molly Ryan said she and her family attended the game and witnessed the Mexican soccer fans chanting their team songs and celebrating. She said at one point in the center of the drum circle a small Columbus Crew flag was lit on fire. She said the general vibe was fun and lighthearted. No one was violent, and fans from both teams were singing and laughing.
Ryan said Columbus police officers entered the center of the circle out of nowhere without using airhorns or flashlights and maced the entire group. She said she and her family were standing far enough away that they only had a coughing fit, but she witnessed and aided a family with a child who was maced in the face.
"This child was a visiting sports fan enjoying song and dance with fans after a sports match. I am infuriated and extremely embarrassed for our city," Ryan said.
Columbus Crew spokesperson Rob McBurnett said the Crew have assisted CDP during their process to gather more info and will continue to do so at their discretion, Shillcock reported. He provided a statement from the organization about the incident.
“The safety and well-being of everyone throughout their time at the stadium is our top priority as it is the most important element to creating a positive, welcoming experience for all attendees, staff members and team personnel. We are aware of the situation and are assisting Columbus Division of Police as they gather more information," the statement said.
Stott declined to comment on the contents of the body cam video, but said handling rowdy sports crowds is exactly why he was hired and what he hoped to work on with police during an Major League Soccer match Sunday between the Crew and FC Cincinnati.
Stott said he hopes the work he does with CPD is able to make changes to policing following how departments across the country responded to protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police. Stott's focus is on what he refers to as sports "hooliganism" at European soccer matches, but he said his teachings could be applied in Columbus to rowdy crowds, following OSU football games and political protests, Shillcock reported.
"What we're trying to collectively achieve is a circumstance where we reduce the likelihood, where police judge it necessary to use force. And that's really the core ambition," Stott said.
"The work I'm involved in is around how police and other agencies interact with each other and how they then deliver a safe and secure event for everybody. And that will be true of a Crew game, a college football game up at the Ohio State stadium and of protest."
