2008 Woodie Awards
Public Safety Officer no longer employed by College after 6-men incident
Kate Czaplinski
Issue date: 3/1/05 Section: News Stories
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Rumors of a student being physically abused by a public safety officer in the Authier/Dufault Residence Hall (6-men) have been circulating around campus since late January. To the shock of many members of our college community, an incident did in fact occur between an officer and student on January 23rd in 6Q.
Senior Mike Albrecht was one student who witnessed the incident between the public safety officer and senior, Brad Zepko. According to Albrecht, two Resident Assistants, one Resident Director, and two Public Safety Officers entered in the back door of 6Q where there was a gathering of about twenty students.
"People started asking them (RAs and public safety) why they were there, but they didn't give any answer. It was then that things started to escalate," said Albrecht. Students began to get angry and somewhat rowdy. Albrecht says that the RD managed to calm people down but the public safety officers had already called for backup.
Resident of 6Q, Senior Joe Lancour, explained that the students became agitated because they were not aware of any violation, as they were not over capacity and all the students present were of legal drinking age. Both Albrecht and Lancour mentioned that one of the two officers who answered the call for backup seemed visibly agitated as soon as he entered the apartment. Lancour and the officer exchanged some unfriendly words from across the room and according to Lancour, Albrecht, and Senior Brad Zepko, another resident of 6Q, the officer began to approach Lancour in a menacing way.
"He started pushing through everyone in the room. He even bumped into the girls who were there," said Albrecht. It was when the officer approached Lancour that that the alleged incident ensued.
"Brad (Zepko) stood up in front of me out of instinct and the officer grabbed him by the neck and threw him up against the wall," Lancour explained. Zepko explained that his hands were behind his back up against the wall and the officer had one hand around his neck. After the officer released him everyone present left, including the Public Safety officers.
Senior Mike Albrecht was one student who witnessed the incident between the public safety officer and senior, Brad Zepko. According to Albrecht, two Resident Assistants, one Resident Director, and two Public Safety Officers entered in the back door of 6Q where there was a gathering of about twenty students.
"People started asking them (RAs and public safety) why they were there, but they didn't give any answer. It was then that things started to escalate," said Albrecht. Students began to get angry and somewhat rowdy. Albrecht says that the RD managed to calm people down but the public safety officers had already called for backup.
Resident of 6Q, Senior Joe Lancour, explained that the students became agitated because they were not aware of any violation, as they were not over capacity and all the students present were of legal drinking age. Both Albrecht and Lancour mentioned that one of the two officers who answered the call for backup seemed visibly agitated as soon as he entered the apartment. Lancour and the officer exchanged some unfriendly words from across the room and according to Lancour, Albrecht, and Senior Brad Zepko, another resident of 6Q, the officer began to approach Lancour in a menacing way.
"He started pushing through everyone in the room. He even bumped into the girls who were there," said Albrecht. It was when the officer approached Lancour that that the alleged incident ensued.
"Brad (Zepko) stood up in front of me out of instinct and the officer grabbed him by the neck and threw him up against the wall," Lancour explained. Zepko explained that his hands were behind his back up against the wall and the officer had one hand around his neck. After the officer released him everyone present left, including the Public Safety officers.