Heavy police presence in downtown East Lansing as MSU students celebrate Welcome Week

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Crowds of students, intermixed with groups of police officers, descended on downtown East Lansing this weekend ahead of the start of classes on Monday.

During Michigan State University Welcome Week, thousands of Spartan students populated the school's campus and downtown East Lansing. The weekend brought students to the bars in the area, with lines out the doors and groups walking through the streets.

 East Lansing police gear up for MSU welcome weekend with helicopter and mounted units 

6 News saw law enforcement — including officers with the East Lansing Police Department, Michigan State Police, MSU, the Ingham County Sheriff's Office and mounted units with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office — responding to incidents throughout downtown amid the festivities Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Just after 1 a.m., 6 News saw police arrest two people after what appeared to be a fight. Another person was taken into custody around 2 a.m. as the bars closed; It is unclear why.

Earlier in the evening, rain pushed some students to wait in parking garages and other structures; Police ordered a group gathered in the CVS parking lot to leave.

At one point, police appeared to put someone in handcuffs before taking the cuffs off. It is unclear what lead up to that interaction.

A 6 News crew also saw East Lansing Mayor Erik Altmann chatting with officers, members of the East Lansing Police Oversight Commission and investigators who appeared to be from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Friday night, police were also noticeably present throughout the area, with units on horseback, police on bikes, a helicopter, drones and groups of officers walking through the crowd. A 6 News crew witnessed police arresting three people in two separate incidents; Police have not said why they were arrested.

ELPD Cpt. Adrian Ojerio on Saturday told 6 News he did not have specific numbers on how many people were arrested Friday night.

During last year's Welcome Week, the East Lansing Police Department faced criticism for several incidents involving its officers, including a controversial pepper-spraying of two Black men that resulted in a civil rights lawsuit against the city and East Lansing's own Human Rights Commission finding the ELPD racially discriminated against them.

 ELPD chief displayed pepper spray during Welcome Weekend 2025 

This year, ahead of the weekend, Ojerio with ELPD told 6 News the department's focus would be on preventing escalations that would result in a similar use of force. Officers would address so-called "small issues" such as "open alcohol" and "verbal confrontations" before they take a turn for the worse.

ELPD said it would have anywhere from 40 to 60 officers operating in the city this weekend, with assistance from other agencies.

— Todd Heywood, Delaney Rogers, Anthony DaSilva and David Sackrider contributed to this report.

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