Roe’s arrest came about as the result of an ongoing investigation into the incident. He is the first to be arrested since the night of the Big Ten Championship game, when police responded to at least 57 couch fires and made 15 arrests.

Cornelius, N.C. resident Zachary Reed Shaffer, 18, also was arraigned Friday on the charge of remaining within 300 feet of an open fire. A total of 10 people have been arraigned on similar charges.

Police also indicated they would not press charges against the man who held up the “Burn the Couch” sign at the end of the Big Ten Championship game.

The sign holder, an MSU student, apologized for any negative attention holding the sign at the game brought upon the city through a statement released by his attorneys at Abood Law Firm.

“He certainly had no intention of someone taking his sign literally,” attorney Andrew Abood said in the statement. “He is a good student, and a loyal MSU Spartan who has learned a valuable lesson about his sense of humor.”

On Friday, East Lansing Police Chief Juli Liebler told The State News that officers initially arrested people close to the fires in an effort to disperse the crowd. That tactic is preferable to releasing tear gas, which can agitate the onlookers and escalate the situation even further, she said.

Liebler said police are reviewing photos from the riot to identify individuals who were directly involved in setting fires and destroying property — not those who were simply watching.