Yale Police Mace, Arrest Students

Not all was merriment on the Yale Bowl field following Harvard’s win on Saturday. As ecstatic Harvard students charged onto the field following the game’s final play, some were sprayed with mace by officers of the Yale University Police Department (YUPD) and two students were arrested.

Four seconds remained on the clock when senior safety Andy Fried intercepted a pass by Yale quarterback T.J. Hyland, clinching Harvard’s victory. Unable to contain their enthusiasm, a portion of the Harvard section of the stands streamed onto the field. As the clock ran down, students continued to flood the field—some moving toward midfield, others taking off toward the goalposts.

A large crowd congregated in front of the goalpost nearest the Harvard section of the stadium. Spurred on by cries of “Goalpost! Goalpost!,” the crowd began to push toward the post. A row of about 10 YUPD officers, assembled to prevent damage to the post, stood blocking the crowd’s path.

“As the people pushed forward, the police pushed back, and that was when they brought out the mace,” said Joshua E. Campbell ’02, who was standing near the front of the crowd. He said he was sprayed in the eyes.

John R. Rapaport ’04 and Gerard P. Hammond ’02 were arrested during the incident, New Haven Police Department officials confirmed yesterday. Rapaport declined to comment, while Hammond, who is also the first class marshal for the class of 2002, did not return repeated calls for comment yesterday.

Mace (or pepper spray) is designed as a deterrent. It causes the eyes to close and provokes uncontrollable coughing or choking, as well as an uncomfortable burning sensation. While its immediate effects are quite strong, pepper spray has no long-term effect.

Around the endzone, the spray lingered in the air, leaving “a little bit of a burning taste in the nose and mouth,” according to Benjamin L. Kornell ’02. Kornell said he had intended to move toward the goalpost but simply changed direction, heading toward the midfield celebration.

Several students were hit directly with mace when they charged at the goalposts, witnesses said. Kevin L. Hartnett ‘03 said he made a run at the line of police and was hit “squarely in the eyes.” According to witnesses, the police’s preventive measures deterred more such rushings, and many students moved away from the area.

Police used the greatest force on students who attempted to climb the goalposts themselves. According to several witnesses, police surrounded and sprayed students who were hanging from the posts, knocking them to the ground.

Of the students interviewed yesterday by The Crimson who were involved with the incident, most said they approved of the police’s actions.

“Honestly, I think I probably deserved to be maced,” Hartnett said. After he was sprayed, he and a friend went promptly to a water fountain, where he spent an hour flushing out his mouth and eyes, Hartnett said.

Campbell said he had a police officer escort him to a first aid tent following the spraying.

“There were people who were trying to rush police officers [and] do them bodily harm,” Campbell said. “I kind of feel they were just doing their job.”

Some students, however, claimed that a number of macings were unprovoked and that the force was excessive or unwarranted.

Kyle P. Egan ’02 said a friend of his was sprayed at close range, despite being in no position to even touch the goalpost.

“It was a ridiculous scene,” Egan said. His friend, he said, was actually running away from the goalpost at the time. “There really seemed to be a lot of hostility in the air. It was totally unnecessary.”