Kenny Greer/The LanternSaturday night, police had to use crowd control tactics when people were turned away from an event at Newport Music Hall.

Saturday night, Columbus police cruisers blocked High Street and officers used mace on crowds outside the Newport Music Hall. The police dispatch report, recently released to the public, finally illuminates this incident.

According to Sgt. Livingston of the Columbus Division of Police, thousands waited outside of the Newport Music Hall Saturday night to enter the venue. Once the capacity of the hall was reached, a crowd of hundreds remained on the sidewalks outside and surged into the street. “Multiple warnings were given by officers on horseback, on bicycle, on foot and over loudspeaker on the cruisers,” Livingston said. “The cruisers moved the entire length of the crowd saying, ‘You need to clear the sidewalk, you need to move out of the street. Failure to do so could result in the use of mace.’ ”

At 12:57 a.m., Columbus police officers used mace against crowds on High Street. Minutes later, a “large crowd fight” is recorded at the intersection of 12th Avenue and High Street; the police used mace again to subdue the crowd and disperse the fight.

The police then responded to another fight, this time at Chittenden Avenue and High Street, at 1:11 a.m. and again used mace. The police did not employ any tear gas, as previously suspected.

“In a crowd control situation, we (the police department) normally spray above their head or below their feet, and this allows for minor irritation, but not incapacitation,” Livingston said. “And we continue with warnings during the entire time. If you’re blocking the sidewalk and the street, you are engaged in disorderly conduct, and you’re violating the law. The next course of action is deploying mace.”

Livingston confirmed that police issued multiple citations and arrested several individuals on charges of obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and failure to comply with police orders.

Responding to a Columbus police request for assistance, the University Police reinforced the High Street barrier, blocked off nearby roads and cleared the Ohio Union Garage of gathering crowds. The OSU police report indicates that an ambulance was summoned to the scene to revive a breathing but “unresponsive” student. OSU police additionally broke up an imminent fight on the north side of Drinko Hall. No more details were available from the OSU police office.

At the same time Columbus police dispersed the last fight on High Street, OSU police responded to a felonious assault on the East 11th Avenue basketball courts. No arrest was made and police are still searching for the suspect, described as a black male by the victim. An OSU police officer who wished to remain anonymous was not able to confirm any link between the incidents, but both remain ongoing investigations.

Abigail Miner can be reached at [email protected].