Police cite 30 during tailgate before game

Saturday’s IU vs. Ohio State University game made the Monroe County Jail busier than Little 500 weekend, said IU Police Department Sgt. Don Schmuhl.

From the hours of 1 to 11 p.m., IUPD officers made about 30 citations at the tailgate field and stadium. Most of the people were taken to jail for alcohol-related incidents.

The 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. night shift was also busy with arrests, Schmuhl said. Those with blood-alcohol contents higher than .25 were taken to Bloomington Hospital.

A few fights broke out during the tailgate. One instance called for ambulance transportation after someone was hit with an Ohio State University helmet, and three Ohio residents were arrested.

Another three-person arrest involved a verbal argument on 17th Street and Fess Avenue when officers found a gun in a car, though the suspect said there was a permit for the weapon.

When fights break out in a large crowd, police officers have to get there quickly and get things under control; otherwise more people try to join in, IUPD officer Andy Stephenson said.

“The problem is people start drinking early in the day, and around game time, people are pretty well blitzed,” Schmuhl said.