SUPD responds to dormitory disturbance

An ambulance, a fire truck and multiple police cars were stationed in front of the Ulysses S. Jones dormitory Sunday night around 8 p.m.
According to acting Lieutenant Floyd Williams, Southern University Police Department responded to a call regarding disturbances at the Jones dormitory. He said that students reported the incident. When he arrived on the scene, some complained that a strange man was chasing them.
Instead of taking the man to jail, Williams declared that, based on the man’s response to questions and his demeanor, he would be taken to the hospital for mental evaluation.
Williams also confirmed that the man, who is 27 years old, was indeed lost and his parents had been searching for him throughout the day. The man would be released to his parents upon completion of the hospital evaluation.
According to Williams, the fire truck was at the scene for precautionary purposes. When Emergency Medical Service responds to a report, a fire truck arrives as well as part of normal procedures taken when responding to emergency calls.
Other reports also correspond with Williams’ statements.
Jerry Jones, a political science major from Alexandria, was the residential assistant on duty at the time of the incident.
“There was a person who came here that was mentally ill; he had been hanging around here for a while, since about 3 p.m.,” said Jones.
Jones added that the man began “over socializing with the students,” so he asked him a few questions and then proceeded to call SUPD.
Brandon Lemon, a freshman agriculture economics major from Opelousas and resident of Jones Hall, said that he was on his cell phone when approached by the man.
“He asked me where the Airline bus was,” said Lemon. “He asked me where the Hornets were . . . weird questions.”
The flashing lights of the response vehicles grabbed the attention of many students who were in the surrounding areas.
“I was walking from the parking lot (Totty Hall) and I saw the fire truck and ambulance and a man staggering around in front of U. S. Jones,” said Tiffany Braxton, a freshman mass communications major from Memphis, Tenn. “They (SUPD) handled the situation quickly and very professionally.”
The lobby of Jones remained filled with chattering students, but the response vehicles cleared the scene as soon as the situation was under control.
“That’s another chapter closed,” said Williams, who would like the student body to know that SUPD does investigate various criminal reports on campus.