EAST LANSING, Mich. — Nineteen-year-old Jaffer Raza Syed was arraigned yesterday, April 2 in the East Lansing 54B District Court for his involvement in the disturbance that took place in the 1000 block of Waters Edge on Saturday, March 28, immediately following the MSU Men’s Basketball Sweet Sixteen game.
Syed, from Marquette, MI, was arraigned on one misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge for remaining within 300 feet of an illegal fire and one minor in possession of alcohol charge.
Syed was released on a $200 bond with the following conditions: a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, daily breath tests (PBTs) and an order to not be within 2,500 feet of a civil disturbance. A violation of any one of the pretrial release conditions could mean revocation of the bond and cancellation of his pretrial release.
BACKGROUNDLast weekend’s disturbances following the MSU Men’s Basketball Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games resulted in the arrest of 13 individuals.
These individuals were arrested for disorderly conduct violations, including, but not limited to: unlawfully remaining within 300 feet of an open fire and wrongfully propelling objects. They all face misdemeanor charges, carrying penalties of up to 90 days in jail and $500 in fines. The individuals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In addition to the court proceedings, DTN Management Co. is considering evictions for those that were arrested (if they are DTN residents).
While the City of East Lansing is supportive of safe, responsible celebrations, there is no tolerance for setting illegal fires, throwing objects at police/bystanders and destroying public and private property.
“It is only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt at one of these disturbances,” said East Lansing Police Chief Juli Liebler.
With the NCAA Final Four coming up this weekend, students should keep the following in mind:
- Anyone within 300 feet of an open fire that is not actively leaving the area can be arrested and faces a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.
- Any student who is found responsible for participating in an unlawful assembly or riot is subject to disciplinary sanctions, including suspension or expulsion from his/her school.
Find other need-to-know messages for celebrating safely at www.msu.edu/celebrations.