‘Iceballs’ prompt Tallahassee PD to use pepper balls on FSU student snow celebration

Iceballs met pepper balls in a confrontation in the snow and sleet in Tallahassee on Tuesday night.

In College Town, predominately populated by Florida State University students, people swarmed the streets to celebrate the historic winter storm — and to throw snowballs.

It ended in police using pepper balls.

In a statement, Tallahassee Police Department Lt. Damon Miller said it all started after the department received calls about vehicles being hit by snowballs at the 700 Block of Madison Street, an area near FSU’s campus that is lined with bars, restaurants and apartments. One vehicle occupant reported being hit in the head.

The responding police officer’s face and patrol car was also struck by an “ice projectile,” Miller said in an email. After the officer issued verbal warnings over the car’s speaker, an unidentified man threw a “snow/iceball” into the car and at his face then ran away.

The storm dumped snow and sleet on Tallahassee, and much of the wintry mix was more icy than powdery.

The officer told the crowd to disperse and stop throwing snow. It didn’t, and other officers were struck as well, according to Miller.

“In response, the officers retrieved their pepper ball systems from their vehicles and issued additional warnings,” Miller wrote. “When the crowd continued to be non-compliant, the officer fired pepper balls in a strategic manner to encourage the dispersal of the disorderly crowd.”

Miller noted that no civilians were struck by the pepper balls, but the irritants had the intended effect of breaking up the crowd. One person was arrested for “Battery on Law Enforcement Officer.”

“The Tallahassee Police Department reminds the public that while winter storms can be exciting, throwing hard ‘ice balls’ can be dangerous due to the hard impact when thrown and can be illegal,” Miller said.

Videos of the incident have quickly spread over social media.

“You can’t stop Noles on Snow Day,” read the caption on one video posted by Barstool FSU. It showed the College Town crowd doing the War Chant at police.

Another video posted by the account shows the crowd fleeing the pepper balls. Some posts mistakenly identify the used dispersal substance as tear gas.

Some raise concerns over use of pepper balls

Some have also raised concern over the response. “Tally PD hates fun,” wrote Barstool FSU, for example.

Lisa Lewin, a parent of two FSU students, told the Tallahassee Democrat in a phone interview that she was “very upset” over the use of pepper balls, viewing them as an unnecessary and potentially dangerous escalation.

“You fear for their safety,” Lewin said.

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule is based in Tallahassee, Fla. He can be reached at [email protected]. On X: @DouglasSoule.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU snow day ends with Tallahassee police pepper balls