A back to school party turned ugly Saturday, as multiple police officers were assaulted while attempting to break up a large altercation that took place at the fraternity village.
Police were called in around 11:30pm to handle a disturbance in the village, which is home to seven fraternities and the Panhellenic House for Sororities. According to the RCMP, the two local officers who arrived on scene were confronted by a fifteen-person brawl. When they attempted to break up the fight, they were “swarmed” in the courtyard, resulting in minor injuries.
They then called for reinforcements from outside RCMP and police forces. Two people were detained for violating the Liquor Control Act, but have since been released without charge. No one was arrested for assaulting the officers.
In addition, according to an RCMP media release, the RCMP were approached by a male and informed that someone with a gun was present. Police searched the area but no gun was located.
The party was called “Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes,” and was thrown by the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (DEKE), who declined to comment on the incident. Members of that fraternity have also been ordered not to speak to the media.
The altercation threatens the relatively harmonious relationship that has existed between the fraternities, police and the university over the past year.
“I’ve been here five years and I don’t recall anything to that degree, where we have fifteen people in an all out brawl,” said Staff Seargent Kevin Kenna, who heads the University RCMP Detachment.
He also said that this is the third violent incident this week in which the RCMP has gotten involved in the fraternity village.
“We had to break up a fight there on early Saturday morning and there was another incident earlier in the week where an individual got a broken jaw, broken bones and [went] in the hospital,” he said.
In a statement regarding the incident, UBC VP Students Brian Sullivan chastised the fraternities for what occurred.
“The numbers were far beyond what could be managed,” he said. “The fraternities must take responsibility for all individuals they host at their parties and in their houses. Many clearly failed in this duty.”
He went on to say that “UBC will work with the RCMP, student and alumni fraternity leadership, international fraternity headquarters and all those involved to address the illegal behavior displayed and ensure it is not repeated.”
Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) President Matt Parson said that he was uncertain about the actual events that occurred on Saturday.
“It’s very cloudy what happened last night,” said Parson. “Of course our first priority is the safety and security of all of our members.”
He claimed that the people who caused the incident itself were non-fraternity members.
“It was people who were not really welcome here, asked to leave, and were causing trouble. And honestly, that could happen anywhere,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that the fraternity systems are being taken advantage of by people outside of the UBC system for the social activities that we offer.”
According to Parson, the IFC will be conducting its own investigation into what happened and is also considering implementing an identification system in order to keep non-students out.
He also pointed out that no gun had been found by authorities.
“It was almost hearsay,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that rumours are being published really when it’s just one drunk person’s clouded recollection that’s being reported.”
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