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U Mich. Student's belongings hurled from 12-story window
Student's belongings hurled from 12-story window
Police block off street as furniture, personal items rain down
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
BY AMALIE NASH
News Staff Reporters
A University of Michigan student who told police he wanted to be famous broke out his bedroom window Monday morning in a high-rise apartment building and began hurling his belongings 12 stories to the street, Ann Arbor Police said.
As Officer Craig Devoogd approached the intersection of South University and South Forest avenues around 9:50 a.m., a large wooden dresser came crashing into the street, police said. A 5-foot-tall fan followed, both smashing into pieces.
Devoogd blocked the street as more belongings rained onto it and the sidewalk, Lt. Michael Logghe said. A desk, books, compact discs, pillows, computer equipment and personal items such as photographs and a genetics exam littered the street and sidewalk.
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Bystanders said it seemed as if the entire contents of a bedroom had been thrown from the 12th floor of University Towers.
Officers went into the building and arrested the 18-year-old student who lives in the apartment from which the items were thrown, Logghe said. He told them he wanted to draw attention to himself and spoke of his desire to be famous and recognized by famous actresses, and also called it a form of protest, reports said.
The items did not strike any pedestrians, but several people were on the sidewalk dodging the debris and watching the sky to make sure they didn't get hit, police reports said.
Brian Durrance was on his way to work when he saw a desk, computer, rug and clothes fall into the street. He picked up a checkbook and handed it to a police officer.
"There's stuff all over," Durrance said. "There was a pretty huge crowd watching it."
Durrance watched as the student was led out, shirtless and shoeless, by police officers.
It took more than a half hour for workers to clear South University Avenue of debris. Pat Zalizny's Chevrolet truck, parked outside University Towers, was struck on the hood, causing a large dent.
"I just got this in July," said Zalizny, who had been repairing a copy machine nearby. "It's brand new."
Casting his eye on the debris in the street, he added: "I guess I should be lucky" that the truck didn't sustain more damage.
The student was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge, and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office is expected to review the case this week. The student was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation, Logghe said.
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