Showdown at Center of Campus @ USC!!

Date: Wed, Oct 6, 2004
Time: 3:30pm

So here I am, going peacefully to teach a discussion session... when suddenly I see a DPS (Department of Public Safety) vehicle whizzing past me... horns blowing to clear the crowd that is generally present near Tommy Trojan, the symbol of USC pride.

Going a few more yards, I see that there is a huge crowd near tommy trojan, all looking towards the Bovard Auditorium. As I wondered what happened, I heard the cries of "Get out of the way" from behind me. Before I could respond, a DPS official gently brushed me aside while running towards the location of the event.

It was then that I heard this girl, in tears, talking on the phone telling someone about how this woman took her purse and showed her a knife. I was shocked to know that such things happen in the midday also.. and that too in the center of campus!!

I then saw the woman, brandishing a knife even as 7-8 DPS officers had her surrounded with guns in their hands. She started replying to one of the officer's request to drop the knife and it was then that another offier jumped her from behind and within a span of 3-5 seconds, they had her giftwrapped, all set to go to the DPS office and later, LAPD.

The incident reminded me how dangerous it is becoming nowadays here... and at the same time how efficient the DPS people are. Three cheers for them and also the students who reported this incident ASAP.

My wishes are for the girl whose purse was snatched.. I hope she comes out of the shock soon.

-A
P.S. You can read more about this on the Daily Trojan