A Rutgers student is claiming police
brutality after she was pepper sprayed in the face when officers in riot
gear shut down an out of control block party near the campus of the New
Jersey university.
Gina Barretti, a junior, says a New Brunswick police officer blasted her in the face because she wouldn't put down a Frisbee. Photos show the officer spraying a crowd of students.
Police armed with riot shields, batons and fire-extinguisher-sized bottles of pepper spray marched down the block on Saturday afternoon after students began fighting, burning couches and jumping on the roofs of the houses on the block.
Videos taken by students show
hundreds of students drinking and smoking drugs openly and taunting
police cars that rolled down the block.
Baretti told Fox 5 news that she was pepper-sprayed before she even realized what was happening.
'A cop came out with the pepper spray and was like "put the Frisbee down" and I was like "woah woah woah" and like two seconds later he was like BAM,' she said.
Video shows Baretti, dressed in cutoff shorts, a block tank top and a neon green hat, taunting officers the first time they drove through the party and attempted to break up revelers.
Students, including Baretti, stood around burning furniture and shouted 'RU!' it was reduced to cinders.
Later, Baretti can be seen throwing more fuel onto a burning couch.
'told you i wasnt kidding....MACE2FACE...#YOLO,' she bragged on Facebook after posting the photo of herself getting sprayed.
They say students began throwing bottles and officers worried that the roofs that dozens had climbed on would collapse.
The incident comes as the Rutgers community is still reeling from the ouster of men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, who was dismissed after videos showed him physically and verbally abusing his players.
The matter also spurred the
resignations of assistant basketball coach Jimmy Martelli, university
athletics director Tim Pernetti and John Wolf, the university’s vice
president and general counsel.
'It only turned into a riot when the cops came,' Mike O’Reilly, a Rutgers senior, told the Newark Star-Ledger.
'"I thought they were spraying water and then I realized it was pepper spray,' said Taylor Palisi, a sophomore.
Officers said they are currently examining videos from the party to tracks down students to arrest on charges of drinking in public and disorderly conduct.
Gina Barretti, a junior, says a New Brunswick police officer blasted her in the face because she wouldn't put down a Frisbee. Photos show the officer spraying a crowd of students.
Police armed with riot shields, batons and fire-extinguisher-sized bottles of pepper spray marched down the block on Saturday afternoon after students began fighting, burning couches and jumping on the roofs of the houses on the block.
Scroll down for video
'Police brutality': This is the moment Gina
Barretti, in the neon green hat, was pepper-sprayed by a police officers
as riot cops broke up a rowdy party near the campus of Rutgers
University
Cleaned up: Baretti, pictured here the day after
the party, tells a TV news crew about how police marched into the block
with riot shields and pepper spray canisters
Proud: Baretti, who works as a waitress as well
as studying at Rutgers, bragged about getting sprayed by police when she
posted the photo on Facebook
Baretti told Fox 5 news that she was pepper-sprayed before she even realized what was happening.
'A cop came out with the pepper spray and was like "put the Frisbee down" and I was like "woah woah woah" and like two seconds later he was like BAM,' she said.
Video shows Baretti, dressed in cutoff shorts, a block tank top and a neon green hat, taunting officers the first time they drove through the party and attempted to break up revelers.
Students, including Baretti, stood around burning furniture and shouted 'RU!' it was reduced to cinders.
Later, Baretti can be seen throwing more fuel onto a burning couch.
'told you i wasnt kidding....MACE2FACE...#YOLO,' she bragged on Facebook after posting the photo of herself getting sprayed.
Video: College chaos at Rutgers University block party
Police said they had to break up 300 to 400 students from seven parties that merged into a giant block-long street of revelry.
They say students began throwing bottles and officers worried that the roofs that dozens had climbed on would collapse.
The incident comes as the Rutgers community is still reeling from the ouster of men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, who was dismissed after videos showed him physically and verbally abusing his players.
Out of control: Students continued to party as an officer sprayed mace at the crowd to convince revelers to disperse
Chaos: Officers described a scene of 300 to 400 party-goers fighting, drinking, smoking drugs and burning couches in the street
'It only turned into a riot when the cops came,' Mike O’Reilly, a Rutgers senior, told the Newark Star-Ledger.
'"I thought they were spraying water and then I realized it was pepper spray,' said Taylor Palisi, a sophomore.
Officers said they are currently examining videos from the party to tracks down students to arrest on charges of drinking in public and disorderly conduct.