More than 100 people were arrested, and dozens sent to local hospitals after a popular spring break beach party near southern California's UC Santa Barbara turned violent last Saturday.
The all-day party, known as Deltopia, attracted 15,000 college and high school students to the beachside community of Isla Vista, which borders the school campus.
However, the event began to turn violent at around 8PM, and the violence escalated at around 930PM, when a UCSB police officer was struck in the head with a backpack filled with large bottles of alcohol, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office told reporters, adding that another officer was hit in the face with a brick.
Party-goers hurled rocks, bricks and bottles at police, injuring at least six officers. They also pulled off street signs and even started a few small fires.
The police released tear gas and "less lethal foam projectiles" to disperse the crowd. The mass of students was eventually controlled by around midnight.
In response, UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang in a statement called Deltopia an "unsanctioned event," adding that it "draws crowds from outside the Santa Barbara area" and "is a serious concern for the University." The school will discuss with authorities on how to prevent chaos in the future, he said.
