Fight at Booker T. students or neighborhood thugs? North Tulsa you can do better

[XEALS for THRILLS]

I realize that the Tulsa World can only get so much information.  Anyone connected with a student that knows what the fight was about?  http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090912_11_A11_Police894518&allcom=1

[waterboy]

It wasn't students from either school. Small groups of "gangster" types were roaming around attacking innocents or other gangster types, from who knows where. My son was near where the first skirmish started and never felt threatened, though pretty intrigued by the whole thing. He saw a mass of people rolling around about the 50 yard line on the running track. Pepper spray drifted up into the stands.

One parent I spoke to who had been near the south side of the complex said a channel six crew member was cold-cocked for no apparent reason. It was rumored that the police had most of the losers rounded up or pinned into the area pretty quickly. Crowds left in an orderly fashion, very little over reaction on parents parts. If it hadn't been for cell phone communication between parents trying to pick up their kids it could have been nasty.

It was all pretty exciting to watch (police helicopter, firetrucks, flashing lights) but a nuisance that once again occurred in North Tulsa and the headline inferred that BTW kids were involved. If they had played this game in Bixby, the result would have been the same. Union/Jenks game also had some excitement involving fighting and a gun. Rumor was that the BTW site was chosen for shenanigans because they knew most of TPD would be at the Jenks game.

One note. The county sheriffs and TPD who were managing traffic need to do some addl. training. They blocked off all entrances to the school to keep order but neglected to tell any of the arriving parents what was happening. Lack of info causes parents to get very worried and lash out. They arbitrarily routed traffic into areas where folks didn't know what to do. I watched a school bus hit a patrol car and watched as a deputy almost directed another patrol car into a firetruck while another angry deputy yelled at drivers for not understanding his vague arm movements. More danger to fans from them than the punks.

Very entertaining. BTW thrashed EC though that had little to do with the rest of the entertainment.

[XEALS for THRILLS]

It wasn't students from either school. Small groups of "gangster" types were roaming around attacking innocents or other gangster types, from who knows where. My son was near where the first skirmish started and never felt threatened, though pretty intrigued by the whole thing. He saw a mass of people rolling around about the 50 yard line on the running track. Pepper spray drifted up into the stands.

One parent I spoke to who had been near the south side of the complex said a channel six crew member was cold-cocked for no apparent reason. It was rumored that the police had most of the losers rounded up or pinned into the area pretty quickly. Crowds left in an orderly fashion, very little over reaction on parents parts. If it hadn't been for cell phone communication between parents trying to pick up their kids it could have been nasty.

It was all pretty exciting to watch (police helicopter, firetrucks, flashing lights) but a nuisance that once again occurred in North Tulsa and the headline inferred that BTW kids were involved. If they had played this game in Bixby, the result would have been the same. Union/Jenks game also had some excitement involving fighting and a gun. Rumor was that the BTW site was chosen for shenanigans because they knew most of TPD would be at the Jenks game.

One note. The county sheriffs and TPD who were managing traffic need to do some addl. training. They blocked off all entrances to the school to keep order but neglected to tell any of the arriving parents what was happening. Lack of info causes parents to get very worried and lash out. They arbitrarily routed traffic into areas where folks didn't know what to do. I watched a school bus hit a patrol car and watched as a deputy almost directed another patrol car into a firetruck while another angry deputy yelled at drivers for not understanding his vague arm movements. More danger to fans from them than the punks.

Very entertaining. BTW thrashed EC though that had little to do with the rest of the entertainment.

I was told that Booker T Band plays and dances in a diffrent fashion is that correct?

[XEALS for THRILLS]

i got a video of the booker t fight

[waterboy]

I was told that Booker T Band plays and dances in a diffrent fashion is that correct?

Different? They're very much into their music and their style. I Especially like how they file out of the stands and onto the field. Not a big band and not a big repertoire but the crowd loves them. Same as their cheer squads.

[patric]

One note. The county sheriffs and TPD who were managing traffic need to do some addl. training. They blocked off all entrances to the school to keep order but neglected to tell any of the arriving parents what was happening. Lack of info causes parents to get very worried and lash out. They arbitrarily routed traffic into areas where folks didn't know what to do. I watched a school bus hit a patrol car and watched as a deputy almost directed another patrol car into a firetruck while another angry deputy yelled at drivers for not understanding his vague arm movements. More danger to fans from them than the punks.

The indiscriminate use of tear gas on whole areas of spectators was also blamed for stampeding as the crowd tried to find breathable air.
Had there been trampling deaths who would be facing murder charges though?

[waterboy]

I wasn't aware the crowd had stampeded or that they used tear gas. Pepper spray is different than tear gas.

I would think the tactic of using gas to manage a crowd is misguided unless the danger is tremendous. In this case it did not appear proportionate to the danger. It probably caused the crowds to panic a bit. When I see crowds spill out onto a football field to celebrate a victory I always think to myself how that too might panic authorities.

I have to say, that my information about the disturbance is all second hand, coming from my son who was right in the middle of it all yet did not express much fear for his safety. A teenager never does.

Edit: my son was not physically "in the middle of it all" as in one of the groups who were fighting. He was in the stands near the 50yd line on the BTW side just above where it all commenced. He did not complain of pepper gas though he did see others who did.

[MDepr2007]

Pepper spray caused a problem last year after the BTW & EC game held at EC . The pepper spray this time was from TPS security and when it backfired they had to call for help from TPD.

[patric]

I wasn't aware the crowd had stampeded or that they used tear gas. Pepper spray is different than tear gas.

As long as we understand it isnt the pepper spray in your wife's purse, but rather the industrial size that makes large areas unbreathable and causes people unable to breathe to panic.

[waterboy]

Okay. I'm just saying there was no panic or stampeding according to those who were there. Some of the fans did move up towards the top rows to get a better look at what was going on. Only one person that I know of was complaining about the pepper spray. And once again, these were not students.

I doubt that industrial strength pepper spray was necessary but then I wasn't one of the security folks on the scene.