Five students arrested Controversy and suspensions follow incident

By Sam Fran Scavuzzo and Frank Visco
Collegian Editors
October 17, 2007

Five La Salle students were arrested Sept. 19 when police broke up a series of late-night parties adjacent to campus. The bust — believed to be the biggest at La Salle in at least three years — was made due to alleged resistance to attempts made by Philadelphia Police to disperse a large crowd at the 5600 block of 19th Street.

Those arrested were among more than 40 students — and perhaps as many as 75 — who spilled out onto 19th Street just after 1 a.m. when police and La Salle Security and Safety broke up four parties, witnesses said.

Erin Brodbeck - The arrests were made after four off-campus parties were broken up.

According to police representatives, five people were charged with obstruction of public passageway at the 35th Division at Broad and Champlost streets. Sources have confirmed those arrested were seniors Dennis Diviney, Jesse Dujardin and Andrew Perez and juniors Jerry Bidus and Iyarn Charmont.

Charmont, the only African American taken into custody, was the first to be arrested. He said that while exiting one of the houses he was struck from behind, pushed by a police officer, and then taken into custody.

Currently, Charmont is not pursuing legal action against police because bruises were not visible after the incident. However, he says there was a lingering soreness for several days, and believes he was unfairly arrested.

“I was arrested without being told my charges. They didn’t read us our [Miranda] rights,” he said. “Since I was the first one picked out, I feel it was racially motivated.”

After numerous attempts by Collegian, Philadelphia Police declined to comment on specifics of the incident.

Per University policy, all five students arrested were placed on interim suspension, according to sources close to the situation.

Dean of Students Dr. Joseph Cicala declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, saying federal law prohibits the University from disclosing information about student disciplinary cases without student permission.

However, he did say, “Standard procedure…calls for the interim suspension, pending full adjudication of disciplinary charges, of a student who is arrested for involvement in such a disturbance.”

The particulars of the incident are shrouded in doubt, and rumors have been circulating around campus for several weeks.

Security officials have confirmed that officers arrived at the scene after receiving calls from local residents. Complainants observed students running across rooftops, playing loud music and throwing glass beer bottles from a roof.

In corroboration with these claims, Security officials say officers saw students climbing into a house through a second story window. Although they did not confirm which house, a student observer noted that all of the houses in question were located south of 5618 19th St.

According to on-scene sources, at least four parties were happening simultaneously in the area. Indicated houses include 5614, 5615 and 5618 19th St., as well as 1811 Olney Ave.

Shortly after Security arrived, several police vehicles showed up on scene. Witnesses said there were as many as five patrol cars.

Due to all four parties being broken up in short order, a large crowd formed outside. Common perception among those on-scene was that police had trouble getting the crowd to leave.

“From what I saw, they got arrested for no reason,” senior communication major Katie Adams said. “[The police] got frustrated that no one was moving, and I guess they just decided to authorize their authority.”

Upon exiting 5614 19th Street with his roommate Bidus, Charmont claims he was struck by a policeman with a flashlight on his lower back. After turning in surprise, he heard the officer tell him to keep moving.

Charmont claims he was then pushed twice, once into some trash cans, cuffed and shoved into the back of a patrol car.

Onlookers confirmed that he was hit, and then arrested for no apparent reason.

“He was yelling, demanding to know why this was happening, but not resisting in any physical way,” senior communication major Jeff Quigley said. “It looked extremely excessive for someone I could not see resisting at all.”

Claiming he was no more than 10 feet away from Charmont, Dujardin confirmed the hit and the arrest, but indicated that the blow was more of a tough handling cross-check, unnecessary but not too severe. He also said he believes the officer heard someone else yell something profane, and, in assuming it was Charmont, arrested him.

Witness accounts indicate that this triggered the rest of the arrests. Shortly after Charmont was cuffed, Bidus allegedly began questioning police. Onlookers say Bidus yelled boisterously in defense of Charmont, demanding an explanation, and was promptly arrested.

Shortly thereafter, Dujardin began asking an officer why the arrests were necessary. Dujardin claims he was calm throughout, and that the officer said, “If you’re not his mother, keep your mouth shut and keep walking.” After expressing disagreement, Dujardin was also arrested.

Senior marketing/management major Laura Johnson said Dujardin responded by saying, “Why are you arresting me? I don’t understand. Can’t you just tell me?”

According to Johnson, Diviney then expressed his dissent, before proceeding to walk up the street. Johnson says police chased after Diviney, and that three officers picked him up and threw him into a patrol car.

Although Perez expressed interest in setting the facts straight, he was unable to be reached for comment. Little can be confirmed about how he was arrested.

In response to the arrests, University officials initiated standard investigatory protocol in order to discipline students in accordance with University policy.

Dujardin is suspended for the spring semester both because of his arrest and because he is a resident of 5614 19th St. (one of the raided houses), he said. He currently will be unable to graduate with the rest of the class of 2008.

“I understand that I was suspended because of additional factors, as well,” he said. “But I think this incident with the police put me over the top.”

In belief that he was held accountable for the police perception of the incident, Dujardin is preparing to bring his case before the Judicial Board so that La Salle can assess his side of the story.

Charmont said he was placed on deferred suspension until May 2008. He still continues to take classes.

The suspension status of Bidus, Diviney and Perez has not been verified.

Cicala has indicated “that each student and each situation is treated individually, with respect to investigation, findings of responsibility (or no responsibility) for charged violations of [University] rules and regulations and sanctions if found responsible.”

However, students close to the situation disagree.

“La Salle is not acting to help us out. They don’t want our side of the story,” Charmont said. “I mean, they listened, but you could tell when you walked in there that they already had made their decisions.”

Charmont went on to say that La Salle did not ask about the specifics of the arrest.

In response to the incident, residents of the neighborhood were not surprised, saying, despite the arrests, the situation was itself common place.

“This is nothing new,” Terri Moore, a resident of Chew Avenue, said. “We don’t have a problem with the people; they just need to be respectful. People are people… I went to college, I know people want to party. Hell I did, but you don’t need loud music at 3 a.m.”

Renee Glasco, a resident of 19th Street, agreed.

“There are always people out until 2:30 in the morning,” she said. “Every morning we find cups and bottles everywhere.”

Still, despite the lack of surprise, the five arrests are unprecedented at La Salle over the last three years. There have been seven confirmed arrests since the beginning of 2004, according to Collegian research. All seven arrests were isolated.

scavuzzos1@lasalle.edu, viscof1@lasalle.edu