By: Nya Eve
During a routine lock-out call in O’Brien Hall Thursday night, 59 bullets were discharged into a door from the barrel of a Department of Public Safety officer-involved gun.
After the door resisted several clear directives to unlock, the unnamed DPS officer began fearing for his safety, said Gerald Pickering, interim DPS chief, on Friday. This prompted the officer to unload about four magazines into the stained mahogany after taking cover behind a water fountain.
The incident came about an hour and 15 minutes after the administration approved a plan to arm River Campus peace officers with pistols — the culmination of a long push by the UR Public Safety Officers Association (URPSOA), the public safety officers’ union.
“I’m just glad Officer Mays had the tools he needed to protect himself and this University community,” Eric Bonacchi, president of URPSOA, told the Catholic Times.
In light of the incident, DPS announced that they will begin evidence-linking the FBI on all door-related cases. Students with concerns are encouraged to view their doors with suspicion and tread lightly.
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