GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) ó The chancellor of East Carolina University says police officers who roughed up football fans as they ran onto the field after a victory last weekend will be held accountable.
The universityís police department is investigating complaints that officers used excessive force at the end of the East Carolina-West Virginia game Saturday.
Video shows some fans being knocked down by police. University police Chief Scott Shelton said the assessment of what happened may continue into next week.
iThese incidents are the most disappointing and shocking Iíve witnessed in my more than four years here,î Ballard said Monday. iI promise we will get to the bottom of this and the officers responsible will be held accountable.î
University police Chief Scott Shelton said the investigation may not be complete until next week, The Daily Reflector of Greenville reported Tuesday.
Shelton told a news conference that an officer seen hitting someone who was on the ground has been identified, but he wouldnít release the information.
The chief also said he would be reluctant to use officers from outside Greenville and Pitt County to provide security at future games. The only other officers at Saturdayís game came from Lenoir County and the city of Kinston.
Shelton said any discipline would be handled by the agency that employs an officer.
iOther jurisdictions have other problems and are not familiar with the problems and issues we may have here at East Carolina University at large events, celebrations,î Shelton said. iThey make take a different point of view, they may have been trained differently, they may react differently.î
Shelton has said officers were told to try to deter fans just by being present, but to step aside if that failed.
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Information from: The Daily Reflector, http://www.reflector.com