Fresno college student arrested after struggle. Why wasn’t the campus alerted?
An incident unfolded at Fresno City College that resulted in the arrest of a student, who was believed to pose a potential threat due to his clothing and behavior — but most members of the campus community weren’t aware of it until later.
State Center Community College District spokesperson Jill Wagner said the matter began when witnesses reported seeing a student wearing a face covering, bandana and large sunglasses inside the Language Arts Building on Monday morning.
Wagner said the student was also carrying two duffle bags and wearing a boonie-style hat — a type of cap sometimes worn by military forces in tropical settings.
The student is accused of trying to force entry into a classroom or office area before chasing an instructor, Wagner said. Students and staff in a nearby classroom locked the door out of fear.
Witnesses initially called 911, and responding Fresno Police Department officers were on the scene until SCCCD officers arrived. It’s unclear when exactly Fresno and SCCCD officers respectively responded to the incident, but Wagner said the situation occurred between 10:30 and 11 a.m.
SCCCD officers tried to detain the student, and the suspect aimed a can of pepper spray at an officer, Wagner said.
Three officers took the student into custody. No injuries occurred, and the suspect was arrested on four charges related to pepper spraying and obstructing a police officer.
Wagner said the student hasn’t been charged for the initial confrontation with the instructor, as SCCCD officers are still investigating.
Despite the situation that was unfolding in the Language Arts Building, the district says it wasn’t obligated to alert the campus community.
“Because the subject was apprehended and no ongoing threat to the campus community existed, this incident did not meet the threshold requiring a Clery Act timely warning notification,” Wagner said.
According to the Clery Act, campuses have to provide timely warnings of crimes that pose a continuing threat to the campus community in an effort to prevent similar crimes. This can include crimes such as homicides, sex offenses, aggravated assaults or robberies. To necessitate a campus alert, the crimes must be “considered by the institution to represent a threat to students and employees,” according to the Act.
Wagner said SCCCD officers are reviewing how the situation was handled in order to improve how information is shared in future incidents.
