Several female York College of Pennsylvania students were assaulted by a large crowd outside their off-campus rental home on West Jackson Street in York early Saturday, September 12, after confronting people who gathered following an apparent illegal street takeover. York City Police say officers were delayed responding because they were already engaged in a separate, ongoing critical incident involving a barricaded person. No arrests have been announced as the investigation continues.
What started as hundreds of people gathering for an illegal street race in a York College neighborhood ended with several female students beaten, maced, and left searching for answers about why help took so long to arrive.
How the Night Escalated
According to students who live in the area, the situation began building around 10 p.m. Friday, September 11, when a group of 50 to 80 non-students who live nearby started congregating in the 300 block of West Jackson Street. By 11:30 p.m., that crowd had swelled to somewhere between 100 and 200 people, according to a male student who lives near the scene and asked not to be identified, citing concerns about how York College treats students who speak to the press.
“None of them were students,” he said.
Around 1 a.m., two vehicles began drag racing down the street, reportedly reaching speeds of at least 80 mph. The student described one car drifting toward a crowd of roughly 40 people before ramping off a curb near a small neighborhood fire station and crashing.
“They swerved and ended ramping their car off the curve in front of the fire station and totaled their car,” he said. “I was standing right in front of it when it was driving onto the curve, so it almost hit me.”
The Attack on the Porch
A group of female students living down the block asked people from the crowd to leave their property around 1:30 a.m. According to witnesses, that request was met with hostility.
“They rushed their front porch,” one witness said. “They started beating on a girl.”
The students say they were punched, kicked, maced, and dragged by their hair. One victim said she was pulled from the porch and dragged toward a stop sign, where a crowd surrounded her and repeatedly kicked and punched her while she tried to hold herself together — literally, using one arm to keep her top in place while trying to shield herself with the other.
She said she was struck so many times she believes she lost consciousness at least twice, including after being kicked in the ribs and hit in the head. She recalled roughly 30 people surrounding her, some of whom recorded the assault on their phones rather than intervening.
Another victim described watching her friends get pulled from the porch by their hair before disappearing into the crowd. A third said someone sprayed mace throughout the property as the chaos unfolded. Video reportedly obtained by local news outlets shows groups of people punching and kicking students who were already on the ground.
Why Police Response Was Delayed
According to York City Police, officers were dispatched to the 300 block of West Jackson Street at approximately 1:49 a.m. for a fight involving a large gathering. At the time, however, York City officers were fully committed to a separate, ongoing critical incident involving a barricaded person following reports of gunshots elsewhere in the city.
“As a result, a York City police sergeant requested a mutual aid response from surrounding agencies, while a contingent of York City police officers responded to the fight,” the department said in a release. Officers arrived on scene at 1:52 a.m., and the crowd quickly dispersed.
Students say they had called police multiple times, starting as early as 10:30 p.m. when the crowd first began gathering, and were told officers were on the way. One student estimated actual police presence didn’t materialize until around 2 or 2:30 a.m.
One victim’s father has criticized the department’s response, arguing the incident put far more people at risk than just the women who were attacked, given how many students live in the surrounding neighborhood.
What Happens Next
Police say officers remained in the area after arriving, met with the victims, and began collecting evidence. Detectives are continuing to gather and review evidence and plan to conduct victim and witness interviews. A mobile police surveillance camera has since been placed in the neighborhood, across from where the incident occurred.
No arrests had been announced as of this report, and investigators are still working to identify those involved.
Anyone with information, video, or other evidence related to the incident is asked to email Detective Commander Andy Baez at [email protected] or call the York City Police Tip Line at 717-849-2204.
