Commissioner takes `full responsibility'

By Tom Farmer

Friday, October 22, 2004

 

Boston officials claimed ``full responsibility'' for the death of an Emerson College student who was killed by a police projectile after the Red Sox' pennant-clinching victory early yesterday while vowing to bring to justice the hooligans who turned a joyous celebration into a tragic free-for-all.

``The Boston Police Department accepts full responsibility for the death of Victoria Snelgrove, an Emerson College student who would have turned 22 next week,'' said a somber Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole. ``I met with her parents (yesterday) afternoon, and as I am sure you understand, there are no words to describe their grief.''

Snelgrove was struck in the left eye by a projectile containing pepper spray that was fired by police trying to quell rioting on Lansdowne Street after the Red Sox beat the New York Yankees to clinch the American League pennant. Because the death was caused by a police officer, it is being investigated by the Suffolk district attorney.

``The young woman last night met a very untimely death and as the commissioner said, we as a city, as mayor of the city, as police commissioner, we will take responsibility for what happened but we will also move on the hoodlums who were out on the street of our city last night,'' said a somber Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

O'Toole said at least two officers involved in the incident that killed Snelgrove have been placed on injured leave.

Sources said the department has subpoenaed all TV coverage of the post-game rioting with the intent of identifying as many people as possible who committed criminal acts.

Seven people who were arrested during the unrest were arraigned yesterday in Roxbury District Court.

``While I firmly and emphatically accept responsibility for any errors on the part of the BPD, and commit to a thorough and swift investigation of our actions, I also condemn in the harshest possible words the actions of the punks last night who turned our city's victory into an opportunity for violence, mindless destruction and pointless mayhem,'' O'Toole said. ``By creating a scene of public panic and disorder, these people own a portion of the responsibility for Torie's death. We will hold them responsible for those actions to the fullest extent of the law.''

Snelgrove's father, Richard, lashed out at Boston police, saying his daughter was an ``exceptional'' person, and noting she was a bystander but ``still got shot.''

Menino said city officials met with representatives from Boston's colleges yesterday and requested they come up with more effective means to control their students.

O'Toole said that while the department was not prepared for rioting after the New England Patriots' Super Bowl victory in February in which a West Newbury man was killed, the BPD, working with state, MBTA and college police, mobilized a force on par with that which took to the streets for the Democratic National Convention.

``But for this horrible tragedy and some property damage in Kenmore Sqaure, I have to say that Boston police used great restraint,'' she said.

The first hour after the Sox victory was relatively peaceful but when hooligans began setting fires and trying to climb into Fenway Park, commanders decided to move in to quell the disturbance. O'Toole said she was unsure who gave orders to use the air guns that fire projectiles containing the Mace-like chemical that struck Snelgrove.

The ones responsible for her death are the barbarian fans of Boston. If they could just learn how to party safely, the police wouldnt feel the need to use excessive force such as shooting projectiles in the crowd. Every time the NE area wins something, Boston fans go wild and loot the city, turing over cars, lighting fires, etc. They are the worse when it comes to celebrating. Remember during last years Marlins celebration nothing big really happened. Just a couple of people arrested for intoxication and that was about it.

The ones responsible for her death are the barbarian fans of Boston. If they could just learn how to party safely, the police wouldnt feel the need to use excessive force such as shooting projectiles in the crowd. Every time the NE area wins something, Boston fans go wild and loot the city, turing over cars, lighting fires, etc. They are the worse when it comes to celebrating. Remember during last years Marlins celebration nothing big really happened. Just a couple of people arrested for intoxication and that was about it.

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What's worse is that their classless media actually pictured graphic photos of her lifeless body in the paper...including an enlarged front cover spread for the newspaper...

 

I thought I was looking at the Drudge Report....

 

http://news.bostonherald.com/eLetters/

 

Some of the complaints

Please note how many were killed in St Louis after they won the NLCS.

 

0.

No rioting. No killing.

:thumbup

For the record Boston College does NOT equal Emerson. What is it with people lately and giving just plain wrong information?

C'mon guys, it's not only Boston that riots after sporting events.

So true.

 

If you saw any length of the so called "riots" you'd note that it was mostly exuberant fans singing chants and cheering. There were very few isolated incidents involving a few people. Absolutely nothing that would warrant the use of rubber bullets (which were unused and left over from the DNC convention.)

 

Being from Detroit I know what a sports-riot is about. Detroit will riot because it's a Thursday morning. This was hardly a riot.

 

Besides, whens the last time rubber bullets were used in any riot? 15 years, 25 years?

So true.

 

If you saw any length of the so called "riots" you'd note that it was mostly exuberant fans singing chants and cheering. There were very few isolated incidents involving a few people. Absolutely nothing that would warrant the use of rubber bullets (which were unused and left over from the DNC convention.)

 

Being from Detroit I know what a sports-riot is about. Detroit will riot because it's a Thursday morning. This was hardly a riot.

 

Besides, whens the last time rubber bullets were used in any riot? 15 years, 25 years?

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I was going to bring up the Detroit riots in '84, but didn't feel like it.

For the record Boston College does NOT equal Emerson. What is it with people lately and giving just plain wrong information?

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Dude calm down, I think he meant a college student from Boston, hence Boston college student, and if he didnt mean that, why get soo animated over it, chill out, smoke a blunt

Miami becomes a very peaceful place when we win a championship...everybody just enjoys the party, we only riot when officers kill people or when little cuban refugees are found and taken

So true.

 

If you saw any length of the so called "riots" you'd note that it was mostly exuberant fans singing chants and cheering. There were very few isolated incidents involving a few people. Absolutely nothing that would warrant the use of rubber bullets (which were unused and left over from the DNC convention.)

 

Being from Detroit I know what a sports-riot is about. Detroit will riot because it's a Thursday morning. This was hardly a riot.

 

Besides, whens the last time rubber bullets were used in any riot? 15 years, 25 years?

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I was going to bring up the Detroit riots in '84, but didn't feel like it.

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Why not? Making fun of Detroit and the fact that they riot when the wind blows out of east is kinda funny.

 

Almost as good as Cental/Western weekends in the early 1990's.

 

 

Detroit....Where the weak are killed and eaten.