Police change approach, equipment after Greek Row riot

Among the numerous lessons learned May 3, 1998, and in the days following was that local law enforcement was ill-prepared to handle a large scale riot.

As the riot escalated, the Pullman Police Department was assisted by the Moscow Police Department, the sheriff's departments in Latah and Whitman counties, Washington State University police and Washington State Patrol in dealing with as many as 2,000 WSU students rioting in the streets just off campus.

While some Pullman officers had shields and basic riot training, the departments were not trained or equipped for what they faced - angry mobs, a barrage of flying rocks and bottles, and numerous fires sparked by students.

MPD Sgt. Art Lindquist said he had been an officer in Moscow for only three years at the time of the riot, and he had no idea what to expect when the call for assistance came in during the middle of the night.

Officers were grabbing anything they could find to protect themselves. Former Pullman Police Chief Ted Weatherly said he watched an officer pick up a metal trash can lid during the rioting and use it as a shield.

In total, 23 officers ended up in the hospital with injuries ranging from concussions to broken bones, said Sam Sorem, who was a sergeant with the PPD and commander of its newly formed SWAT team at the time.

He said the fact police had failed to maintain a relationship with the student leaders and general population in the years leading up to the riot contributed to the chaos of the night.

It was clear to all of the responding departments their knowledge of crowd control and their equipment was insufficient.

"The training we had was about a generation behind," Sorem said.

In the days following the riot, the decision was made for many of the departments to begin attending trainings in Spokane, Sorem said.

Many of the departments, including the MPD, had not had a riot team and chose to form one at that time.

Today, all of the area departments have the appropriate gear and training to address a riot or unruly crowd, Lindquist said.

The crowd control gear is much like what baseball catchers wear and includes a helmet, shield, gas mask, PR24 traditional police stick and flex handcuffs used for mass arrests, Lindquist said.

The gear is meant to look intimidating to serve as a visual deterrent, Lindquist said.

Lindquist said certain officers are also trained in how to release tear gas, shoot bean bags and use foam police batons. Certain officers are also trained in how to shoot rubber bullets and use paintball guns that contain pepper spray.

He said while officers have the equipment, they also have a responsibility to use the least amount of force necessary.

"We ask, we tell, and then we enforce," he said.

Weatherly said he believes a similar riot could occur today, but the relationships the police formed with students through new positions like the campus beat division have helped prevent such incidents.

"We hope for the best but prepare for the worst," he said. "Absolutely everything is possible."

Katie Short can be reached at 208-883-4633 or by email at kshort@dnews.com