It’s good that the Wichita Police Department plans to formally investigate how a near riot occurred last weekend at the Cotillion, where some people turned ugly after being forced to leave the building when inspectors found the crowd exceeded the 2,000-person occupancy limit.
The incident raises a lot of questions, including whether enough bilingual officers were there to explain what was happening to the largely Hispanic crowd, why some crowd members got out of control, and whether the police’s use of Tasers against them was appropriate.
Overcrowding is a serious safety hazard that can lead to tragedies. But police should determine whether this situation could have been better handled.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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16 Comments
The police aren’t the bad guys in this ordeal. It is the promoter who oversold the capicity of the venue. Why need more Hispanic officers? This is America, and if all these Hispanics are here legally, the should know english by now. If this happened in Mexico, do you think they would have had english speaking officers? I think not. They should know when the police order the building cleared in an orderly manner, that does not mean throwing rocks and bottles at them. More evidence of the Mexicanization of America.I’m all for people immagrating here legally. But they need to learn our laws and customs. And our language.
While in general I am in full support of the police, it is obvious that poor judgement was used here. The better thing to do would have been to let the show go on and then to harshly deal with the venue owner afterwards- perhaps a $10,000 fine. This reminds me of when the police caused a riot in Hermann Hill Park several years ago by shutting down a concert over a parking dispute with some motorcyclist.
I dont’ believe this is the first time the venue has been oversold. It’s just the first time there was something done about it.
I’m not saying the police are wrong.
I do believe there should be an investigation into why “this” time it was an issue.
The police WERE wrong in this instance. I have been to many Cotillion concerts that were way over sold. None were told to evacuate the builing in any order. None were even fined for the violations as far as I know.
I think someone in authority counted heads, assumed that because these were primarily Mexican people, there would be problems, and tried to empty the building to avoid trouble. It backfired.
Management should have been notified, and appropriate steps taken, with the very real possibility that it could result in rioting if done improperly. Obviously, it wasn’t done that way. A violation occurred, and come hell or high water, it was going to be corrected. Violation meet hell.
The authorities should have swept down on the place and checked the immigration status of all of those beaners! I wonder how many of the scum were driving drunk without licenses upon leaving the venue? As for more bilingual officers, screw that; the last thing we need is more affirmative action cops!!!
Viva la Raza Blanco!!
Must agree with Brown on this. I have been to various bars in different cities in Mexico, and none of the cops speak English.. why should they?
They hand wringing about needing more bi lingual cops is garbage.
So…they shouldn’t have emptied the place? And what happens when the overcrowding develops into a problem with dozens being killed like with that fire in Rhode Island? Then watch people scream about failure to protect.
This was started by fire codes..not police discrimination. The reactions (throwing rocks/bottles) is untenable and should be met with force.
Investigate complete: Riot was caused by a crowd of individuals that drinked excess alcohol.
What were they thinking?!?!? Surely, there was a better way to handle the situation than running everybody out of the building. Like that wasn’t going to piss people off? There were 60-70 people too many. Big deal! It wasn’t worth starting a riot over. I know it was a code violation, but if we start being that strict about code violations, half of the businesses in this town would be shut down. I can walk into almost any manufacturer and find fire code violations.
Half of those people attending that convention don’t even belong in this country!!!
Got something to back that up, CruX, or are you just posting to hear your head rattle?
Oh yeah, let’s just shoot the “beaners”. That’ll look good in the national press. Attitudes like that, and we wonder why business doesn’t want to come to Kansas.
Good point XXX. I think sometimes people just say things to say them.
Say things just to say them? Nope. Theres a group of people who live up here in Pennsylvania that stretches way into Ohio who say shoot them. ITS INVASION. May not look good to some of our more liberal friends, but im sure that picking them off comming across the boarder will send a message to them. Not just 1 or 2. A message should be sent.
Say things just to say them? Nope. Theres a group of people who live up here in Pennsylvania that stretches way into Ohio who say shoot them. ITS INVASION. May not look good to some of our more liberal friends, but im sure that picking them off comming across the boarder will send a message to them. Not just 1 or 2. A message should be sent. And people dont want to go to Kansas because corn really isnt that good.
I think actually enforcing the G-D border like any other country would be a saner, more humane message. But hey, whatever works eh?
“Theres a group of people who live up here in Pennsylvania that stretches way into Ohio who say shoot them.”
That’ll teach them damn Cleveland browns!