Officials emphasize safety protocols, urge students to disengage from conflicts.
David Brown | Staff Writer
The FIU police responded to a reported battery involving four students late Wednesday night near University Towers, an incident that left multiple students suffering minor injuries from pepper spray, according to FIU police.
The altercation occurred shortly before 11 p.m. on Jan. 15 outside the Market at Breezeway, where police say a verbal argument between two students escalated into a physical fight involving four individuals. Witness accounts indicated punches were thrown before one student deployed pepper spray. Wind conditions caused the spray to blow back toward those involved, affecting multiple participants, police said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue treated the students at the scene for minor irritation. No one required hospitalization, authorities said.
After interviewing all four students, officers determined there was no clear primary aggressor. As a result, all involved parties signed non-prosecution affidavits, and the case was referred to FIU’s Office of Student Conduct and University Housing for potential violations of the student code of conduct.
The incident comes amid what police records describe as a short-term rise in reported assaults and batteries on campus. FIU police case logs show 12 assault or battery incidents over the past three months, with three additional cases reported in the days following the January altercation, a higher figure than in the preceding three-month period.
Most of the reported incidents involve student-on-student disputes and typically occur in or near residence halls or recreational areas such as basketball and volleyball courts, police officials said.
FIU Police Chief Alexander D. Casas said officers follow a standard protocol when responding to physical altercations, which includes separating the individuals involved, ensuring medical care if necessary, conducting a criminal investigation, and determining whether charges or disciplinary referrals are appropriate.
Despite recent fluctuations in reported cases, Casas cautioned against interpreting the data as a sustained upward trend. “From month to month, we may get an increase of a couple, two or three, and percentage-wise it may look significant, but this is not unique to FIU,” Casas said.
Police continue to urge students to disengage from confrontations before they turn physical. “If you can walk away from a situation, walk away,” Casas said. “There is nothing cowardly about walking away; it actually takes more courage.”
The FIU Police Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on both the Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay campuses. Students are encouraged to report emergencies by calling 305-348-5911 at MMC or 305-919-5911 at BBC.
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