Rockne's Roundtable

I think you are completely wrong in assuming that they had more than enough officers to pursue the others. They were responding to a noise complaint, not a riot. I don't care if their were an equal number of officers to party-goers, whats wrong is still wrong. Stop making excuses for Tommy and assuming the cops are doing something wrong here. They were doing their job. And technically, they did catch more than one person, Carlo who is going to make sure that the South Bend Police will hear from his people. C'mon, I know the kids were just having fun, but when it's time to get serious, you gotta face the consequences, don't look for an escape by assuming the officers were doing their jobs incorrectly.

One bad decision?

Being out past midnight at a party- bad decision
Consuming alcohol as a minor- bad decision
Running from the party when cops arrive- bad decision
Running/jumping fence after cops tell you to stop- bad decision
Fighting with cops when they catch you- bad decision
Kneeing a cop in the gut- bad decision

...see the pattern?

Bingo.

I've tried posting twice and it didn't work so heres the short version and hope it works this time ....

Apparently some people have trouble reading that I said I still find Tommy be in the wrong....

Dan wrote that Tommy was the only one of 5 to be pursued .... you dont find that fishy? Well I do and excuse me for ever thinking a police force would mishandle an arrest, especially one that has a history of harrassing ND students

Prosecutor's office just reduced Rees' felony charge to a misdemeanor. He now has four misdemeanor charges and will not need to appear in court in order to post bail. He'll be out of jail shortly if he isn't already.

They were called there. And if someone runs, they don't know why they are running, which gives them probable cause to pursue. C'mon really....
And I don't know how many rapes, burglaries, and other major crimes were being committed, but since you do, WHY WEREN'T YOU DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT

I know that all cops are not by the book, but they is a lot more that are there to do the right thing and are willing to put their life in the line of any fire that may come there way. And yes I did see that you said that you think Tommy is wrong, but I also did see that everyone else stop when the police ordered them to stop and Tommy continued. Again, this is only a big deal because Tommy fought with the cops. If Tommy wouldn't have fought with the cops, I wouldn't have said anything to anybody complaining about the cops. But take into perspective that witnesses are saying that Tommy continued to resist to the point that he had to be peppered sprayed because he kneed the cop. Everyone seems to be overlooking the fact that a cop got hit here. If you are taking that into consideration, then we might be on the same page after that...

"my people will get you"

what a dumbasss. but is it really that much of a surprise for a jersey man. haa ha aha aha aha.

don carlo.

Good.

underage drinking and fleeing

should not triger any severe penalty.

Simm, you're a reasonable dude and I agree with 99% of your other opinions, but on this checklist the majority of us have done at least #1-3 and some #4. While we haven't been the QB at ND many of us had scholarships to maintain, program standing and academic standing we risked. I don't consider being at a party, underage drinking to be bad decisions nor do I want to glorify them. I've had cops come to many a college party to "quiet down" and the first reaction of 60% of the underagers there is always bolting to the nearest exit ASAP and then 15% more as soon as the cops drove off. Luckily, the guys I partied with were charismatic enough and the Wilkes-Barre cops lenient enough that I never had to run off or hide like Rees did against orders to stop (although I'm kinda a pu$sy to authority so I'd probably have frozen in panic rather than knee a cop). The details of what he did once he was grabbed are where the devil lies. Malicious intent to strike and escape, or trying to "break a tackle" and run off.

76, the problem with the "if he stayed put" idea is he still may have gotten the underage. As the starting QB of ND, he probably still would have made ESPN and had to deal with fallout. Given the previously Draconian nature of such fallout, and the risk to his starting spot: he probably decided (5-6 beers in) that the chance of getting away with nothing outweighed standing still for at least an underage. What everyone agrees upon is him not just putting his hands up once he was spotted or obviously caught. Like one of those fans that runs onto the field, you either weave until you get pasted or realize you're stuck and give up. Rees should have given up.

Just added this to the body of the actual story, but in case any one misses it:

According to the prosecutor's report a cab driver pulled into the middle of Notre Dame Ave. to slow Rees when he was he was running from the cops. The cab allowed the officer to catch up with Rees, who then kneed the officer in the "lower abdomen."

At that point the cab driver grabbed Rees and held him until the officer was able to recover and wrestle Rees to the ground.