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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Video shows Hawaii police roughing up fan

Advertiser Staff

Aloha Stadium's manager last night called "unfortunate" a postgame incident — captured on a YouTube video clip — of police roughing up a fan who rushed the field following the University of Hawai'i's football victory over Washington on Saturday.

Scott Chan did not see the video but heard about news reports of its existence.

"I didn't see it," Chan said. "If it did take place, we don't condone it. I don't think anyone would condone it."

A contingent of off-duty Honolulu police officers, an HPD Rapid Response Deployment group and private Wackenhut security guards in white shirts unsuccessfully tried to keep fans off the field after the 35-28 victory that catapulted the Warriors into the Sugar Bowl.

The YouTube video shows a male fan on the ground in front of the UH student section, restrained by police. One officer appears to make punching motions at the fan, but it can't be seen on the video where the blows land.

Megan Chan, a UH junior, was sitting in the fourth row of the Manoa Maniacs student section when she saw the incident unfold.

Chan said she was horrified when she saw a man "hooked by the neck, thrown down to the ground and pinned in a very submissive position, and the policeman then punched him hard three times in the stomach. It was so much violence. It was shocking."

Honolulu police officials were unavailable for comment after a KITV report last night on the YouTube video. The video was removed from YouTube last night.

Chan is the administrator of a FaceBook site called UH Fans Against Police Brutality, created by a group of UH students after the game.

"Students were met with undeserved violence," the site says. "Multiple students were tackled to the ground. One was tackled and pinned while being punched in the stomach. Others were pepper-sprayed."