State police made 36 arrests — the lowest number reported from the past five years — around the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus this weekend during the three-day, unsanctioned IUPatty’s celebration.
Police made 77 arrests last year, 62 in 2024, 47 in 2023 and 71 in 2022, according to state police spokesperson Trooper Cliff Greenfield.
The majority — 22 — were DUI arrests, which is the highest figure in the past five years, Greenfield said.
There were 13 DUI arrests last year, 11 in 2024, 10 in 2023 and 21 in 2022.
The other arrests from the weekend included:
• Possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia — seven
• Firearms violations — two
• Possession of alcohol by a minor — two
• Distributing alcohol to minors — one
• Evading arrest on foot — one
• Public drunkenness — one
Handgun fired near campus
One of the firearms violations is attributed to Tymere Johnson, 22, of Clairton, who police say fired five shots into the air from a stolen handgun before leaving Indiana Saturday evening.
Johnson is charged with carrying a firearm without a license, person not to possess a firearm and receiving stolen property, according to court records.
Officers were dispatched to the intersection of West Avenue and School Street in Indiana shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday for a report of shots fired in the area. Officers learned that a vehicle that may have been involved in the incident was heading toward the university campus, according to a sworn affidavit.
Troopers stopped a vehicle in White Township and found that the backseat passenger possessed a handgun. The shell casings from West Avenue and School Street matched the caliber of those in the gun, according to the affidavit.
Johnson told police he shot the gun in self defense because someone shot at him. He requested an attorney and questioning stopped, the affidavit says. Police said Johnson was restricted from possessing a firearm because he previously pleaded guilty to felony criminal trespassing charges.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday under Magisterial District Judge Anthony Sottile III. Johnson was unable to post bail and is being held in Indiana County Prison.
During the weekend, state police investigated four vehicle crashes. Officers also initiated 166 traffic stops and issued 22 traffic citations —which is a decline from recent years.
Last year, police made 187 traffic stops and issued 50 citations. There were 143 traffic stops and 61 traffic citations in 2024; 178 stops and 126 citations in 2023; and 336 stops and 155 citations in 2022.