Students who stayed in Huntsville this summer started off with a bang when they earned one of the most prolific days of arrests in Huntsville history.
May 12 was not just the last day of school for students, but for some, it was the first day they were taken into custody at Walker County Jail. Of the estimated 18 arrests that night, eight were from a party on the 1900 block of Avenue L1/2.
Eyewitnesses at the “mixed fraternity” party said that the Huntsville Police Department, the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission and the University Police Department made their presence felt by making several arrests at the party. According to records from the Sheriff’s Department, most of the arrests were from HPD.
Dylan Patterson, an observer at one of the parties, said that there were at least 40 people left at the party he attended when the cops swarmed the scene. According to Patterson, the cops banged on the door for 30 minutes. When the police were let in, all of the participants of the party were told to sit on the front lawn.
The police checked ID’s and arrested anyone with a standing warrant. Patterson said that the party was given a warning earlier for its noise pollution, but Huntsville Police Department officers went by again that night with a reason to break up the party. He also said that the TABC was present but were working with the police rather than interrogating the party participants.
“One guy, when the police were about three-fourths of the way through with checking ID’s, decided to bolt towards the front porch of the house next door,” said Patterson. “At that time, cops leaped on him and dragged him back.”
Records verify that this man was detained for evading arrest. Freshman Steven Veyssi was among those arrested that night for “criminal trespassing.” According to Veyssi, he was in the bathroom when the cops told everyone to leave the house and he claimed he was staying there anyway because his house across the street had no electricity.
He said it seemed that “most of the party” was arrested that night and that the cop cars “couldn’t hold anyone else.”
Veyssi’s friend also got arrested for defending him when the cops accused him of trespassing.
Several other student arrests were made that night, from various parties, but students agree that most came from the party on Avenue L .