On Sunday, a significant police presence was seen at the University of Dayton as large crowds gathered to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The heavy deployment was in response to reports of gunfire in the Jasper Street area. Officers from multiple departments, including the City of Dayton, University of Dayton, and the City of Springboro, responded to the scene, according to Dayton Daily News.
Brown Street was temporarily closed, and students were advised to avoid the area while officers conducted their investigation. The police later issued an all-clear around 11:30 pm, and the street was reopened.
According to Dayton247Now, the University of Dayton had sent multiple advisories to students earlier on March 8, warning them about potential risks during the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. By 3 pm, around 20 medical calls had been made, primarily to assist students on the 400 block of Lowes Street. Due to the large gathering, campus officers initially used verbal commands to disperse partygoers.
As the celebration escalated, officers employed bullhorns and mounted police to issue dispersal orders. When those efforts failed, authorities deployed tear gas to clear the area after some individuals threw bottles at officers and refused to comply with police instructions, reports Dayton247Now.
By 6 pm, the university reported five arrests and multiple hospitalizations due to illness or injury. Later in the evening, the University of Dayton’s Department of Public Safety informed students of an active police investigation near campus.
At approximately 9:15 pm, Dayton police were called to break up an “unruly” crowd near Brown and Jasper Streets. Amid the chaos, gunshots were fired in a business parking lot, leading to an arrest. During the altercation, an officer was injured while attempting to take the suspect into custody, as reported by Dayton247Now.
Fortunately, no gunshot-related injuries were reported. The condition of the injured officer remains unknown at this time. Brown Street was closed from Stewart Street to Wyoming Street as officers worked for over an hour to disperse the crowd.
