Police forces clash outside Towers

Police scanner recordings from Friday night indicate a scene of confusion and confrontation in… Police scanner recordings from Friday night indicate a scene of confusion and confrontation in which Pitt police resisted other officers’ attempts to enter Towers Lobby.

“Stand back. That’s not happening … We have jurisdiction on campus,” a Pitt police officer said over the radio.

Within two minutes, non-University officers had moved in front of Towers. Someone issued an order to “assemble attack team at the door.”

Eleven seconds later, a high-ranking Pitt police official was walking up to Towers to stop the non-University officers.

Earlier in the night, Pitt police and non-University police had argued over whether to enter University property, where students were present.

“Pitt doesn’t want us to make entry, so we’re gonna hold out here,” one non-University officer said. “If they come out, we’re gonna arrest them.”

Pitt police continued to resist the other officers’ attempts to enter Towers Lobby, but non-University officers persisted.

“They’re trespassers, we need to sort out that ASAP,” one non-University officer said.

The two sides were fairly united at the beginning of the night. Both Pitt police officers and non-University officers thought a protester ran across campus and was headed toward Towers Lobby.

They even agreed that they thought the protester was going to pull the fire alarm in Towers, causing thousands of people to evacuate the buildings and head toward the streets.

Pitt police arrested a protester on the other side of Towers, but non-University officers missed that announcement. Under the assumption that the protester was inside, they pushed for access to the dorms.

The result was a seven-minute argument, which ended when a Pitt police official came to the dorms.

Pitt police Chief Tim Delaney declined to give the name of the “high-ranking” officer who resolved the situation because the city is still investigating police actions.

But he did say, “I admire the guys for standing up — the Pitt officer. I would love to let the students know … that I didn’t feel we abandoned the kids.”

City police spokeswoman Diane Richard did not return requests for comment.