Disturbance at Greek Olympiad Step Show

4 held after Reed party

By CHRISTOPHER FERRELL
Eagle Staff Writer

Four Dallas-area men remained jailed Monday on aggravated robbery charges after police said they stole up to $1,115 following a fraternity-sponsored party Reed Arena.

Authorities said the event grew out of control, making the armed robbery just one of several incidents linked to attendees of the Greek Olympiad, which was sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Bob Wiatt, director of the Texas A&M University Police Department, said the list of crimes includes several fights, seven gunshots fired into the air behind Reed Arena, 19 vehicles being burglarized or vandalized behind G. Rollie White Coliseum, and numerous reports of alcohol and marijuana use.

Wiatt said University Police called in officers from College Station and Brazos County to help control the crowd of up to 7,000 people inside Reed Arena.

“We got the people out of the area and eventually away,” he said. “There were a number of fights, but no arrests were made, simply because we didn’t have the man power to take anyone down to the county jail.”

Wiatt said officers were unable to get to any of the fights on the dance floor because the crowd was so large.

University Police Lt. Bill Zikus said the event was shut down an hour early after the crowd grew out of control.

“There were supposed to be college students from all over, but we do know that a number of the people were non-college students,” Wiatt said, adding that none of the four arrested were students.

Wiatt said the four men taken into custody on aggravated robbery and marijuana possession charges include: Marcus Leon Givens, 21, Rynel Denard Dozier, 18, Cornelius Quana Ferrell, 20, and Alex Ramane Freeman, 21. All remained jailed Monday on $83,000 bail each.

Court documents state that the four approached two men in the Reed parking lot and Ferrell asked them if they had change for a $100 bill.

The men told police they did have change, prompting one of the assailants to point a handgun at them and demand money, according to court documents. The two men told police they gave Ferrell between $890 and $1,115.

Court records state that the victims told police Ferrell had the gun, while Givens and Freeman acted as lookouts and Dozier drove the car.

A tip one of the four gave the victims led police to the accused. The victims told police that before they were robbed one of the men asked if they wanted to go to their hotel and party. He then named where they were staying and even gave the room number.

Wiatt said police accompanied the two men to the Ramada Inn on Texas Avenue where they identified the four men who had robbed them. Court documents state that a gun matching the one used in the robbery was discovered during a search of Dozier’s car, along with less than two ounces of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

College Station police also arrested four men Sunday morning following the party at Reed for fighting and interfering with officers in the parking lot of a McDonald’s on George Bush Drive, across the street from campus.

Wiatt said A&M’s administration would have to decide on whether or not the Greek Olympiad would be allowed back on campus in the future. Over the years, there have been a number of crimes and altercations committed during the annual event, police said.

“Everybody at the university is trying not to inhibit people from having a good time, but when it comes out that there’s just one series of fights after another and after another, then the good times does not exist,” Wiatt said.

There have also been reports of participants using the trash cans in our Memorial Student Center(which is a memorial to Aggies who died in World War II) as urinals.

For any out there that may have particpated, thank you for trashing our campus. Thanks also for giving the anti-Greek sentiment on campus more fuel for their fire.

Kitso
KS 361

[Kevlar281]

Wiatt said A&M’s administration would have to decide on whether or not the Greek Olympiad would be allowed back on campus in the future. Over the years, there have been a number of crimes and altercations committed during the annual event, police said.

I could see this conversation lasting two minutes.

[tinydancer]

That's TERRIBLE!! I don't blame you for being upset.

Originally posted by Kevlar281
I could see this conversation lasting two minutes.

Kevlar,

Normally i'd agree with you, but A&M's new president Dr. Robert Gates and the outgoing president Dr. Ray Bowen both have made one of their priorities increasing the diversity of A&M.

While this event apparantly has a history of ill effects on campus, i think if A&M were to stop allowing it to be held here we would face some harsh criticism and negative press. Because of the potential for negative publicity and A&M's goal to increase minority applications, i doubt that they will refuse to host future events.

Kitso
KS 361