Police Beat 6/2/2018: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Police Beat

May 30, 2018

A University of Arizona Police Department officer makes a call while standing by the Koffler building on the UA campus.

Bye Bye Birdie

A group of male students standing on the roof of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house spent their morning shooting birds with a BB gun until University of Arizona Police Department officers responded to the scene at 6 a.m. on May 3.

When the officers arrived, one noted four men on the roof. One was holding a rifle the officer believed be a BB gun.

The males ran into the house, out of the officer’s line of sight. Two males eventually met the officers on the ground. The men identified themselves as members of Pi Kappa Alpha, commonly known as Pike.

Both men admitted to shooting at pigeons on the fraternity’s property. Officers searched the area and did not find any injured or dead birds. An officer explained to them the severity of having a BB gun that is almost indistinguishable from an actual rifle.

The officer reported that one of the suspects exhibited a “relaxed and carefree” attitude about the incident and appeared to find it amusing.

The Pike house president told officers he would take appropriate disciplinary action. Additionally, UAPD notified the Dean of Students Office of the incident.

Lotion Commotion

A UAPD officer responded to a shoplifting incident at Highland Market on May 2 that involved a UA football player sampling lotion without paying.

According to a Highland Market employee, the suspect entered the building at 5:30 p.m. He took lotion from a container, rubbed it into his hands, and placed the container back on the shelf.

The suspect purchased a few items, then left the store. Surveillance footage corroborated the employee’s account.

The employee told the officer that he did not wish to prosecute on behalf of the store, citing a new policy of issuing a warning for first time shoplifting offenses.

Another employee recognized the suspect as a member of the UA football team. The officer called the student, who was en route to take a flight home and not return until the fall 2018 semester.

The student confirmed the story and said he had sampled lotion that way at other stores in the past without issue.

After talking with the officer, the student offered to send someone to pay for the lotion, but the officer told him that even if he paid now, he had still committed theft.

Regardless, the student had a friend purchase the lotion and told the officer this when they spoke a short time later.

The officer notified the Dean of Students of the incident. The student also informed his coach of the incident.

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