An Ohio University senior tradition went awry for a group of students who visited the Athens Mental Health Center, also known as The Ridges, for a Thursday night escapade, but ended their evening in custody.
Four individuals were arrested by an Ohio University Police Department officer at The Ridges after the officer observed a group of people “tampering with the street paving bricks” on East Circle Drive. All those involved were charged with destruction of property, according to the police report.
The incident was one of five criminal mischief charges that occurred during a week that also yielded 12 drug charges, eight related to alcohol and four reports of theft.
Duct tape dilemma
Thursday morning, officers received a complaint from the WOUB newsroom, located in the Radio-Television Center, that an unknown person or persons had “placed duct tape on a plaque” on the third floor the building, according to the police report.
Though the case is still listed as active, controversy surrounding the status of the Roger E. Ailes Newsroom culminated Monday evening, when Ohio University President Roderick McDavis announced that Ailes’ name would be removed from the walls of the Radio-Television Center, according to a previous Post report.
Before the meeting had even come to a close, the letters bearing Ailes’ name had been stripped from the wall, and were promptly covered with a wooden board. The actions occurred four days after OUPD launched its investigation into the attempted destruction of the sign, which is listed as an act of criminal mischief.
Saturday night’s not all right for fighting
It was a late night for three OUPD officers who responded at approximately 3:00 a.m. to reports of two males “physically fighting” on the second floor of Gamertsfelder Hall. Upon arriving, the officers reported the two suspects engaged in a verbal argument in the hallway — one of them, however, fled the scene when he saw officers approaching, slamming the door of his room in one officer’s face.
When officers were able to make contact with the man, they detected a “moderate odor” of alcohol on his breath and person, according to the police report.
While both individuals involved in the altercation were charged with disorderly conduct by fighting, the man who fled the scene racked up additional charges for underage alcohol consumption and obstructing official business.
Falling for Athens
Saturday evening, an OUPD officer responded to a men’s restroom in Crawford Hall, after receiving reports of an injury sustained from a fall. Upon arriving at the scene, the officer found a male sitting in a chair in the restroom, holding a bloody t-shirt against his face, and smelling of “an intoxicating beverage,” according to the police report.
The man stated that while walking along the construction zone near South Green, he tripped on a curb and injured his face as a result of the fall. He was transported to O'Bleness Hospital for treatment, but not before being issued a citation for disorderly conduct by intoxication.
