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Ohio officials conclude use of pepper spray after Ohio State-Michigan game was justified
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Ohio State and Michigan played one of the highest-profile games in all of college football last season, and the end of it was marred by a sprawling brawl that involved both teams, staffers, and law enforcement. In an attempt to break up the on-field fighting, police officers used pepper spray.
According to a report from The Athletic, a review of the incident by two Ohio agencies concluded that law enforcement officials were justified in their use of pepper spray.
The report also states that there were differing accounts regarding who first used the spray. Douglas Cunningham, a detective for The Ohio State University Police Division, said initial attempts to “suppress the aggressive, combative and growing crowd and to regain order” did not work.
“Several people were on the ground, police officers were being pushed and shoved by large, highly trained and skilled division one football athletes in full football game attire,” Cunningham wrote in his department’s report, per The Athletic. “The players had the advantage in both size, strength, conditioning, protective gear and they outnumbered the police presence trying to suppress the growing threat.”
According to The Athletic, multiple department officials, including Ohio State’s chief of police, agreed the use was reasonable. The review of the incident also found that “most of the actions” taken by the sheriff’s office we appropriate.
Michigan won its fourth straight over Ohio State in the series. The fight broke out after the game went final when Michigan players attempted to plant a U-M flag at midfield. Videos of players and bystanders reeling from pepper spray went viral. The Big Ten ultimately fined both sides $100,000 for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.