Crowd destroys deputy's cruiser

A hip-hop concert at The Evergreen State College ended in a riot early Friday in which a Thurston County sheriff’s patrol car was overturned and looted.

Photos: Rioters at Evergreen Concert Destroy Sheriff's Car 2008
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A campus police officer was dispatched around 1:30 a.m. following a report of a fight inside the College Recreation Center where the group Dead Prez was performing.

The female officer arrested a man and placed him in the back of the patrol car. Some of the concertgoers were taunting and questioning the actions of the officer, said Trooper Brandy Kessler of the Washington State Patrol.

“They didn’t feel the arrest that was being made was fair,” she said.

Campus police Sgt. Darwin Eddy refused to release the man's name Friday afternoon saying, "I don't have the authority to release that and I've got to call a concerned parent."

He did say the case would be forwarded to prosecutors for review.

The crowd continued to grow and became more aggressive.

“Some people blocked the police car that was trying to take the student away,” said Dan Hilden, a 20-year-old Evergreen student who attended the concert.

Concerned for her safety, the officer called for backup and the man in the police car was eventually released. The officer took down his name and address.

Thurston County Chief Criminal Deputy James Chamberlain said authorities made the right call in releasing the male because of the escalating unruly behavior of the crowd.

"It was a very volatile situation at one point, and I'm proud of the officers in how they responded," Chamberlain said. "They backed out of there to try and de-escalate the situation instead of making more arrests and possibly making it worse."

Six sheriff's deputies who arrived to assist the campus officer reported that several people in the crowd were throwing rocks, bottles and even a garbage can at the them, and others were grabbing at the deputies' guns.

They were, however, able to clear a path so the campus police officer could leave the scene in her car, Kessler said.