'Pretty Nasty' party attracts partygoers, police
Police disbanded a party organized by two Central Michigan University fraternities on Sunday after receiving several complaints about people crowding the streets.
The 'Pretty Nasty' party was located at Northside Hansen Arena, 1241 N. Mission Road. Isabella County Sheriff Mike Main said the gathering attracted about 1,500 people.
When deputies arrived they found several cars blocking the roadway, according to a press release issued by the sheriff. They reported that hundreds of people were attempting to enter the building, and an estimated 800 people were already inside.
It took longer than an hour for the building to be cleared. The road was temporarily closed for vehicles trying to leave or being towed, according to the release.
“We’re accustomed to having large parties with CMU’s campus here,” Main said. “We just try to keep them smaller so they don’t get out of control and nobody gets hurt.”
No arrests were made and the partygoers cooperated with police, Main said. He added that afterward about six complaints were reported in the surrounding area, which “may or may not have been related to the party.”
“There were certainly — probably — some intoxicated people driving after leaving,” Main said. “The goal is to peacefully get everybody out and the roads cleared.”
Even though the majority of partygoers were just trying to have fun, some people got out of control and "(made) it bad for everyone else,” Main said.
Mount Pleasant sees a party reach triple digits about once a year, he added.
Mark Hansen, the owner of Northside Hansen Arena, estimated 400 people inside the building and “maybe 500 to 600 outside.”
The facility’s maximum capacity is 1,000 people.
The rink was rented by members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Hansen was not aware that members of Kappa Alpha Psi were also involved. He said the fraternities hired security guards and kept track of how many people entered the party.
“There was no issue inside the building,” Hansen said. “While there was security in the parking lot when that many people show up there isn’t much you can do.”
Hansen said police overestimated the crowd and overreacted to the situation.
Main said blocked roads and a mass of people, some standing in neighbors’ property, is a sign a situation is out of control.
“Everyone can have their opinion, but we’ve done this long enough to know that if these situations aren’t put in check then things can go bad and people can get hurt,” he said.
Central Michigan Life sought comment from Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi and the Office of Student Activities for this story.
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