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Tucson Police Arrest At Least 12 After Basketball Loss

A screenshot of a Vine video shows a man getting pelted with pepper ball rounds walking toward police.
(Photo courtesy of NPR)
A screenshot of a Vine video shows a man getting pelted with pepper ball rounds walking toward police.

Tucson police said they made more than a dozen arrests after the University of Arizona’s loss Saturday night to the University of Kentucky in the NCAA basketball tournament. Sgt. Pete Dugan said the unruly crowd began throwing beer cans, beer bottles and firecrackers at officers who were trying to disperse them from an area along University Blvd. in Tucson.

“Definitely it was getting a little dangerous,” Dugan said. “Still continued to give dispersal orders with no response, the crowd starting to walk forward. There were numerous pepper balls then deployed by the officers there. They were shooting pepper balls into the crowd.”

Dugan said over 200 of the pepper balls, containing a small pepper charge, were fired into the crowd. He said nine larger canisters of pepper powder were also fired into the crowd, along with a number of foam batons. Names of those arrested will be turned over to the university, which will determine if they will face disciplinary procedures. They also face misdemeanor charges that include disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. 

Dennis Lambert was a morning host at KJZZ.