Sam Stephenson, News Editor

Oct. 25, 2013

Four Allegheny College students were involved in a physical altercation with two members of the Meadville community on a CATA bus at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 5, according to a Safety and Security alert.

According to Jeffrey Schneider, director of Safety and Security, the incident began on the CATA bus coming from downtown Meadville where the defendant was verbally harassing students.

At Highland Ave., the students exited the bus and left for the Campus Center. The defendant followed them into the building where the harassment reportedly continued. A Campus Center employee made the call to Safety and Security to report the incident. A foot chase ensued pursuing the two suspects where the pair were apprehended by the Meadville Police.

Twenty-three-year-old Stephen Scott has been charged with loitering and prowling at night time, four counts of harassment and public drunkenness, according to the police criminal complaint. The complaint also noted that Scott was found loitering in a detached garage at 654 Madison Ave. in an attempt to elude the police officers conducting the investigation.

The altercation was recorded by the CATA bus security system, according to Tim Geibel, Executive director for CATA.

According to Geibel, incidents like this are very rare.

“I would say the vast majority of students handle themselves professionally,” Geibel said. “Whenever there is alcohol involved, tempers are more easily agitated.”

Allegheny College has had a long-standing relationship with the Crawford Area Transportation authority. The organization provides free rides to any Allegheny students with their student ID, while all others must pay a one-dollar fee for any one-way trip. The loop picks students up from a variety of stops on campus and takes them to as far as Wal-Mart or The Movies at Meadville.

“We have a very good relationship,” Schneider said about CATA. “They have radios to contact us in any situation.”

The radios that the loop drivers are issued are two way radios. In any cases involving Allegheny students, loop drivers can speak directly with safety and security to dissolve any incidents.

CATA has been in conversation with the Meadville Police Department and is willing to provide any information if need be.

“In the seven and a half years I have been here, this is the first time this has happened,” Geibel said.