Troopers and police from four towns were needed to quell a riot at a University of Hartford keg party that left at least nine students and seven officers injured and resulted in 12 arrests.
"It was total mayhem," said sophomore Darren Champion, 22. "Basically none of this would have started if the police didn't show up. If the police didn't come wielding billy clubs, it would have been over quickly."Police said they were confronted with a full-scale riot early Sunday as hundreds of students pelted them with rocks and bottles when they tried to break up the party.
The two-hour rampage began with about 40 students and eventually involved as many as 1,000, police said.
Some students said they were attacked by police even though they were just bystanders.