The independent commission reviewing the April 2-3 disturbances will place no blame on groups involved that night, despite a long debate. This ends the six-month review with a final report.
"Clearly, a few of us felt it was important the commission reach some conclusion about April 2," said commissioner Joe Tuchinsky, who is also a member of the American Civil Liberties Union. "We need to look back and make some judgments."
East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows, who heads the commission, said the group was not charged with the responsibility of pointing the finger of blame. The group met Tuesday evening with the task of finalizing its report after hearing testimony from students at its last meeting.
"Everybody who was appointed to this commission knew what the mission was," he said. "I do not feel I am in any kind of position to make a judgment. We are supposed to be looking forward."
Because the group voted 5-4 to omit statements that would have cited both students and police as contributing factors to the events of April 2-3, some commission members said the report will not carry a strong message.
"We will make things worse by not saying something," said commissioner Beth Alexander, who also serves as the MSU university physician. "Not assigning some accountability will probably result in things getting worse before they get better."
It's clear some people in the community want the commission to include judgments in the final report, but the group acted as an information-gathering body, not a jury, said Ed McGarrell, director of the School of Criminal Justice at MSU.
Nearly 300 tear-gas canisters were released on a police-estimated crowd of about 3,000 people that took to East Lansing streets after the men's basketball team lost to the University of North Carolina on April 2. Forty-three people were arrested and property damage totaled $5,775.
Many students said police were too harsh when using force, such as tear gas or pepper spray, to gain control of people.
Each time the commission makes a recommendation in the report, they do acknowledge that something could have been done better, said commissioner Derek Wallbank, a journalism senior.
"We are sitting in judgment 29 times," he said of the report's 29 recommendations. "You don't address a puncture wound with a Band-Aid."
Although the report doesn't included statements from each commission member, Meadows said a full report with an appendix will be compiled at some point in the future.
"A complete report would be made available at city hall," he said. "It won't be the final, final document that is released — it will be the meat of it."
