Logan* was on his way out of the Campbell Club Friday night when officers from the Eugene Police Department arrived at the scene after receiving noise complaints. EPD reached 1670 Alder Street between 11:15 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., where they found minors drinking on the porch and music that could be heard from outside the house. As EPD arrived, residents of the co-op and attendees of the party either began filing out through the back of the house, or refusing to allow officers inside.

According to Logan, people were physically resisting all actions taken by police, and this included one resident forcefully resisting an officer’s entrance into the house.

“The guy was pushing the cop as the cop started to hit him and force his way into the house, but the resident was thrashing and had gotten a hold of the door and dragged himself in and slammed it on the cop. People were standing by or (helping to drag) the resident inside,” he said.

In an interview with The Register-Guard, Eugene Police Sgt. David Natt said that it’s a concern when patrons get physical with police officers.

“That’s a major, major safety issue,” Natt said. “Particularly for the officers, but also for the people who are participating in that kind of activity.”

Later in the night, officers called a local Municipal Court judge for a telephonic search warrant to gain access into the house, but once the warrant was granted, residents allowed police to enter, regardless of the recently granted warrant. Logan also noted that as well as being inside the house, officers were making arrests outside.

“Typically, in a situation like this … our goal is to speak to the residents of the location and advise them why we are there and what the circumstances are in an effort to gain our compliance and get the situation resolved,” Natt said in an interview with The Register-Guard.

Logan was able to leave the premises before officers entered, and he watched as arrests were made and obscenities were shouted. Logan thought the situation got out of hand quickly and believes the reaction of those at the party when EPD arrived caused the police to respond as severely as they did.

“Instead of trying to cooperate, they retaliated and acted like they were being wronged by the police,” Logan said. “People were filming the guy getting arrested and yelling at the cops that they would get sued or something stupid like that, but if you punch a cop, which this guy did, you are going to get slammed to the ground and handcuffed. To think differently is ignorant.”

Logan also stated that the attitudes of the people at the Campbell Club, in a way, validated the severe actions taken by police.

“If you have blaring music and minors drinking on the porch, the cops are going to break it up,” Logan said. “It’s like the Campbell Club thought it was special and can do whatever they wanted, but really what happened is what happens to anyone who throws a party with a lot of minors and drugs around … I think the cops dealt with an unruly crowd how they normally would and the kids just didn’t behave in a way that they should have if they really wanted to protect their house.”

*Name was changed because he requested to remain anonymous.