NEWS
Police arrest Bucky
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Also by Megan Costello:
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by Megan Costello
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Camp Randall provided some memorable moments for University of Wisconsin students last Saturday as the UW football team beat Penn State 16-3, but one badger missed out on part of the fun.
The UW Police Department quietly arrested Bucky Badger during the second quarter of the game shortly after police officers saw him body passing through the student section. Although few students were aware of the arrest, the badger was removed from the game and fined $181 for body passing.
During Bucky’s arrest, a replacement Bucky was prepped and sent out, according to Lt. Karen Soley of the UWPD.
While members from the pom and cheerleading squad ushered one Bucky in, the first went to the slammer.
“With my own eyes I saw Bucky on his back in the student section being body passed,” said Capt. Brian Bridges, UWPD.
Sometime during the second quarter, members assigned to keep watch on Bucky were separated, Bridges said. Bucky’s surf-time occurred around 6:15 p.m., about midway through the second quarter.
Bucky arrests happen about once every seven or eight years, Bridges added.
A Waunakee police officer watched Bucky during the passing and then fished him out from the crowd after he was set down. Bridges said mascots and members of the cheerleading and pom squad know they are not allowed to body pass during games.
Bucky was taken to the police center inside Camp Randall and ticketed. His court date is Oct. 15.
“No one is allowed to body pass because it’s an unsafe thing,” Sorley said. “It is something we will arrest someone for.”
Students disagreed with Bucky’s pricey entanglement.
“Arresting Bucky for a harmless stunt, which I found hilarious, is completely out of line,” UW sophomore Ryan Sander said. “The role of Bucky Badger is to get the fans and particularly the students fired up for the football game.”
Sander and his friends saw the Bucky surfing spectacle.
“All of my friends were cracking up because we thought it was pretty funny,” he said. “I had never seen something like that before.”
Sander was in Section L during the game and said Bucky was being passed in Section M. He thinks of the event as a sacred memory of his Badger football experiences, he said.
UW sophomore Erin Vanden Brook also said the arrest was unnecessary.
“The police should have been focusing on the CDs that were being handed out before the game and thrown at people,” Vanden Brook said. “There were definitely more important issues to be handled on Saturday than arresting an oversized badger.”
But Bucky is not the only person to try body surfing at sports events. Sorley said she has seen a couple of cases of body passing in the past few years at UW and believes it is slightly increasing.
Both the person being passed and the passers are subject to the $181 tickets, one of the cheapest citations officers write.
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 7:46am):
Lame! Why is it dangerous to body pass? It's not like the person could accidentally be passed over the top with all the luxury boxes blocking them. Dumbasses!
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 8:58am):
I recall one year when the mascot was initially booked as Buckingham Badger, because he wouldn't give up his real name. He even spelt Badger for the arresting officers.
How many schools have fans body surf and do push ups for every touchdown they score? Cops at those schools don't make arrests.
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 10:00am):
Thank goodness our dear University Police are out there cleaning up the streets!
Between errant mascots and those scary scary campers outside the Kohl Center, I most certainly feel safer knowing that our law enforcement officers are protecting us.
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 3:19pm):
The UW police have long prided themselves on maintaing a positive image in the minds of UW students.
So why now are they deciding to crack down on frivolous laws that previously they have virtually turned a blind eye to? Every law should be enforced, though it is clear some are favored over others on campus. This is normal nationwide. But why the sudden crackdown on laws that are directly affecting studens? This will inevitably lead to a blacklash of disrespect for the UW police, which will present an abhorrent campus situation.......
Josh (September 30, 2004 @ 4:50pm):
I am trying to raise the mere $181 to pay Bucky's fine. Bucky makes the football games extra fun, and I think it is time we pay him back. It isn't much but if I could get everyone to donate some spare change or whatnot, we could pay off Bucky's fine for him easily. I myself will chip in $20 if I can raise the rest. Lets do this!
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 5:58pm):
Sigma Pi Fraternity will be outside Gordon Commons from 12-2 on Friday Oct 1 to try and raise money to pay Bucky's fine. Please come by and donate whatever you can afford. Anything will be accepted.
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 6:42pm):
It's Bucky's 55 on SAT!
Anonymous (September 30, 2004 @ 11:07pm):
bucky almost got tossed over the edge several times, i think that's why they are paranoid
