3 Central State students detained in large fight

UPDATE @11:32 a.m. 10/20/2014:

Central State University released the following statement today: "Central State University is currently investigating the occurrence from last weekend. The university has zero tolerance regarding breaching the student code of conduct."

UPDATE @ 9:43 p.m. 10/19/2014:

More than 60 law enforcement officers from more than two dozen jurisdictions, including Dayton, Kettering, Huber Heights, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and deputies from Greene, Clark and Warren county, responded to calls for help to deal with a large brawl early Sunday at Central State University, dispatchers confirmed.

Two Central State campus police officers issued calls for assistance around 12:30 a.m. More than 900 people wwere on the scene when officers arrived, according to police.

"There were several fights breaking out and they kept asking for more officers to respond," said Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer.

CSU police said three men, who are students, were detained and would be charged with misdemeanors in connection to the fights. Their names were not released, and university officials did not return multiple calls seeking comment Sunday.

Some Central State students said the police response was excessive.

"This is a college campus," said junior Nytesa Gant. "It was a college fight. All that force was not necessary."

Student Carrlisa Heard said she was only able to attend homecoming festivities for about 20 minutes before the event was shut down because of the brawls.

"The cops were going overboard," she said. "People that weren't fighting were getting manhandled."

Gant said police needed to use more discretion.

"We're college students," she said. "We're not here for violence, but of course violence is going to happen when you have 1,000-plus people intoxicated at a party."

The Greene County sheriff said he did not know what started the brawl.

"We will review reports that we have locally and see what we get from there and talk with the campus police chief," Fischer said.

UPDATE @ 1:11 p.m.:

The university and campus police have not released any official information about what happened.

WHIO's Lauren Clark was at the campus in an effort to talk to students and gather more details.

A campus police officer advised her that the news media was not allowed on campus without prior approval from the university's public relations department.

Phone and email messages left for the university spokeswoman have not been returned.

UPDATE @ 2:58 a.m.:

A Greene County Sheriff's deputy confirmed shots were fired inside an off-campus student housing facility in a separate incident early this morning near Central State University.

No gun was found and there were no reports of injuries, according to the deputy.

UPDATE @ 2:40 a.m.:

The campus police chief, Capt. Mark A. Machan, said the three men detained, who are Central State University students, would face misdemeanor charges.

The university said it would not be releasing any further information at this time.

UPDATE @ 2:15 a.m.:

Three Central State University students have been detained following a large fight on campus early this morning that brought law enforcement from multiple jurisdictions in response to two calls for officers in need of assistance.

The campus police chief, Capt. Mark A. Machan, said the three men were detained.

UPDATE @: 1:57 a.m.:

Two people were taken to the hospital following a large fight at the Central State University campus.

Medics retrieved the two people from the parking lot in front of the Beacom-Lewis Gymnasium, said Xenia Fire Chief Ken Rigsby, who said he did not immediately know the gender nor the extent of their injuries. He said the two were hit with pepper spray and possibly were assaulted during the incident.

Several other people were treated at the scene for pepper spray exposure, he said.

Five medics from three departments responded to the campus. A staging area was set up off campus in front of a Speedway gas station.

FIRST REPORT

Law enforcement from 28 jurisdictions across three counties descended early this morning on the Central State University campus.

Two "99 calls" for officers in need of assistance were made during large fights at the campus, which is celebrating its homecoming this weekend.

At least two people have been arrested, according to initial reports.

A medic staging area was being set up to treat people with injuries suffered during assaults and from pepper spray, according to police dispatchers. Medics are responding from multiiple jurisdictions.

Central State University, is one of the nation's oldest historically black universities, according to its website. CSU is an accredited university with an enrollment of about 2,000 students.

We are on the way and will update this report as we learn details.