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Morgantown riot arrest numbers growing

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Police are still tallying up the total number of arrests in connection with a post-football game riot in Morgantown Saturday night and likely will be making more arrests in coming days, according to the Morgantown chief of police.

So far there have been at least 17 arrests — though not all were directly related to the postgame disturbances — made by the West Virginia State Police, Morgantown Police Department and Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department.

The riot could also result in student expulsions, according to a statement from West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee.

Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston said officers are reviewing social media, surveillance footage and following up on tips from the public to identify people involved criminal activity and to come up with a final number that includes figures from all agencies involved.

“Nothing’s off the table as far as identifying people engaged in criminal activity,” he said.

Police said they used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the crowds after people were pushing over street lights, throwing bricks and beer bottles at officers and firefighters, ripping light poles out of the ground, and throwing rocks at cars and firetrucks.

Morgantown Fire Department also responded to several fires throughout the night.

The events followed WVU’s upset win over fourth-ranked Baylor Saturday afternoon.

“This is one of the incidents that creates a blot on the university — on the community,” Preston said. “Everyone’s talking about the riot. No one’s talking about the football game anymore…

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