Forgiveness: Don’t count on it

University and Prince George's county police departments, as well as the city of College Park, recently held an event in an attempt to repair their relationships with students after last semester's dance party — I mean riot. The problem is, after being chased by a 1,600-pound horse and hosed down with pepper spray for doing nothing wrong, I'm not feeling too forgiving.

I was at the March 3 men's basketball game against Duke, but my roommate hadn't managed to get a ticket and was watching it from a bar. When we won, she texted me, "Come to Route One! Everyone's celebrating!" Missing social events makes me break out in hives, so I hot-footed it over to Route 1 and was greeted by cheering Terp fans harmlessly dancing and singing in the street.

I had been watching the celebration for exactly 10 seconds when I heard an ominous clip-clopping, which revealed itself to be a line of mounted county police dressed in riot gear, banging on their shields with night sticks. Everyone had the same joyous reaction: Combine a Terps win and a petting zoo, and you've got a party. We took pictures, we loved, we laughed, and then we learned these horses were nothing like My Little Pony and were forever scarred.

I moved aside, confused because I wasn't aware dancing or being happy were federal offenses. Unfortunately, as I pondered this, a police officer, obviously threatened by my quiet thoughtfulness, grabbed my arm and forcefully dragged me away from my friend. When I tried to protest, he brandished a nightstick in my face and screamed, "I will arrest you!" to which I replied, "For what?" He didn't seem to have a response to that because the real answer was, "Absolutely nothing, miss. I'm so sorry for threatening to arrest you for standing calmly on the sidewalk away from the maniacs dressed in full riot gear." Nonetheless, I was forced apart from my friend.

We reunited near 7-Eleven and were faced with a dilemma. While the police were pepper-spraying and beating students to make us "disperse," they were also blocking all paths of exit. We weren't allowed to go up or down Route 1, and we weren't allowed on any side streets. We were essentially herded like cattle into a quarter-mile area and couldn't escape. It was a free-for-all for the police; as I watched officers with night sticks setting upon multiple people nine-to-one and girls crying hysterically while trying to wipe tear gas from their eyes, I realized how completely defenseless we were. Yes, we had been in the street, but the people who were supposed to keep the peace appeared to have gone completely insane. And they definitely seemed to be enjoying it.

I was even in footage being pushed by a police officer. Hey, mom! More recently, I was interviewed by the local ABC News affiliate about the muggings that took place directly outside my apartment building. Where were the police then? Probably viewing the "lost" footage from the riot and chortling, "My favorite part is when you smack him in the face, Bob, and blood spurts from his nose! That'll teach him not to dougie in celebration!"

I want a public apology. I want free pizza. I want a pony ride around College Park on one of those terrifying horses.

Until then? No forgiveness.

Bethany Wynn is a senior sociology major. She can be reached at wynn at umdbk dot com.