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What started Friday as a "game on the snow" for a group of college students from West Virginia University – who drank one day due to the cancellation of classes – quickly became "Dangerous and threatening situation" involving riot police, mattress fires, tear gas and pepper guns, officials said.
"The students became a little too jovial and I was afraid of being swept away," Morgantown Mayor Bill Kawecki told The Exponent Telegram just hours after the shock reported.
"It's unfortunate that they just can not enjoy the snow without making it a dangerous place," he said. "As far as I know, the university does not receive it very well either."
WVU officials had to issue a statement Friday night – explaining what happened – after the video of the incident on social media.
"West Virginia is an all-out war right now," Barstool Sports wrote in an Instagram post.
Officers can be seen on video using tear gas and air guns. supposedly loaded with "pepper balls". Non-lethal projectiles are essentially paintballs filled with pepper spray.
It is not known whether the officers were police officers on campus or the Morgantown Police Department. Students would have thrown them bottles of beer and other debris.
"The escalation seems to have begun when several hundred students and other people who gathered together refused to give reasonable instructions to disperse … resulting in force action of the order, "said April Kaull, director of communications for WVU. . "University officials will watch videos of the situation to determine whether to lay charges."
WVU classes have been canceled since Wednesday due to the polar vortex that swept the country this week . Social media users criticized the police Friday in Morgantown for using too much force.
"Children are having a fun day on snow, the police have triggered the problems and caused a worsening of the situation," tweeted a person in response to WVU's statement. . "The use of tear gas was unacceptable! Let the kids go sledding and protect them, we do not need another Kent state! "
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