The 25 Most Ratchet St. Patrick's Day Incidents

Image via Complex Original

Date: March 2012
Location: Newark, DE

The anticipation for St. Patrick's Day has some people so excited to celebrate (i.e. drink) that they're up early in the morning doing just that. A bunch of University of Delaware students were so eager to drown themselves in alcohol that they started the party at 10 a.m., pissing neighbors off in the process. By 2 a.m.—16 hours later—the alcohol had won, as many students were seen either passed out or vomiting and well on their way to passing out. Because the holiday fell on a weekend, there was less apprehension due to less potential responsibility. No work, no class, no worries. Councilman David Athey called it the "perfect storm."

There were 34 citations issued for various code violations the following day, but the biggest eyesore was all of the trash left behind, especially since it found its way into the front yards of angry neighbors and in front of local businesses.

Date: March 2012
Location: Morgantown, WV

St. Patrick's Day is a huge deal at West Virginia University, and nothing is more important than being "Schmacked" for the entire day. It's such a monumental moment, in fact, that someone edited a very thorough "I'm Schmacked" trailer for the event. It features green beer, green beer guzzling, green jello shots, shirtlessness, fights, girls kissing frogs, Cro-Magnon dudes smashing beer cans onto their skulls, machismo, misogyny, games, weed smoke (they have to keep the "green" theme consistent, right?), car windows being shattered with baseball bats, and a 40-year-old dude that's way too happy to be in the presence of a bunch of undergrads. It's a beautiful disaster, all set to the MGK's "Wild Boy." How fitting. There's a disclaimer on the YouTube video that says no alcohol or illegal substances were used during the filming of the "movie" or the trailer. We don't believe you.

Several schools participated in the "I'm Schmacked" campaign, but WVU ranked fourth on a recent list of the top 100 party schools.

Date: March 2010
Location: Waterloo, Ontario

This toothpick paid the price when he decided to play hero and climbed onto a fire truck. A pissed off fireman who looks like Guile from Street Fighter ordered him down, and he's quickly yoked up and handed over to police. However, it was a ceremonious arrest, as the drunken daredevil is met with cheers from spectators-or are those jeers?

Date: March 2010
Location: New York, NY

This low-quality clip appears to be just another case of drunk people mouthing off to one another on a Metro-North train (isn't that just an average weekend?), but the situation escalates rather quickly. There's pushing, a plethora of F-bombs are dropped and the collar of one guy's green polo gets mangled. You're drunk, and now the collar on your shirt is drunk too—wouldn't that piss you off? This is why we can't have nice things, especially not on St. Patrick's Day.

Date: March 2012
Location: Neptune, CO; Wall, CO

Over 400 people were arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence during St. Patrick's Day weekend in Colorado last year, but here's a rundown of arrests that range from DUI to drug possession.

51-year-old Scott Carnie of Neptune, CO was arrested for DUI after smashing his car up on St. Patrick's Day, and 26-year-old Brian Kruthers was arrested for a litany of charges such as obstructing a public highway, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession in Wall, CO on the same day. Later that night, 23-year-old Robert Tejada was also arrested during a routine traffic stop.

Over in the Sea Girt Estates, an underage girl and two underage males were arrested for marijuana possession and underage drinking that night, but were released and subjected to the wrath of their parents. A lot of drinking, a lot of green, and a lot of bad behavior-that's unfortunately what St. Patrick's Day seems to be about.

Date: March 2012
Location: Royal Oak, MI

Police in Royal Oak, MI were busy last year, as 13 people were arrested on St. Patty's Day, including a man who got kicked out of Woody's and three of his friends. The man got tossed from the bar, and police were even kind enough to listen to the his complaints if he kept it moving. When he wouldn't budge, police arrested him, causing the man's brother and wife to try and help him. Another friend made it worse by ripping his shirt off like a wrestler and trying to sway the crowd. The crowd probably loved it, as several people whipped out their phones and began recording the spectacle. By several, we mean 400.

That's not even the extent of the madness: There were six drunk-driving arrests, and a 19-year-old male was caught drinking in his car after assaulting two people near a Barnes & Noble. Nothing is sacred anymore, not even the bookstore experience.

Date: March 2010
Location: New York, NY

If you're expecting a peaceful early morning commute on the New York City subway on St. Patrick's Day of all days, what the fuck is wrong with you? This rowdy bunch had no regard for the time of the day, the laws of gravity, or other passengers when they took over a Metro-North train car. Imagine a band of drunken buffoon's watching the World Cup in a bar as early as possible, then drop them into a train and you get this right here. There's beer, sweat, a kid with braces, and an extremely excited black dude yelling "I LOVE WHITE PEOPLE!" Oh, and of course there's a guy in a green body suit, because the holiday wouldn't be complete without at least one Green Man. Keep in mind that that this is just one of eight cars that was packed with kids ready to seek and destroy.

"I'm sorry you had to ride with us," a member of the group says to another passenger. At least he's aware of how obnoxious they appear. Self-awareness is a necessity.

Date: March 2012
Location: New York, NY

Putting a bunch of drunk people on the subway on St. Patrick's Day is like shaking up a hornet's nest. Last year, violence erupted amongst beads and a sea of green shirts. There were headlocks, punches thrown, and celebratory Ric Flair screams. The best (and worst) part is the dead-eyed stare of the kid in the snapback screaming, "YOU DISSED MY BOY!"....or is it, "YOU TOUCHED MY BOY!"? Either way, imagine being the Average Joe just trying to get home in the midst of this madness?

When transit fights occur, the real victims are innocent bystanders.

Date: March 2012
Location: Long Island, NY

For all the problems they can potentially cause, drunk people can be pretty funny and pretty damn creative when the occasion calls for it. This particular occasion was a drunk ride into the city, where passengers decided to pass the time by turning the luggage racks on the LIRR into a luge. Thus, a new sport was born: Luggage rack racing. One competitor loses his pants in the process, but makes up for it by mounting the rack once again and scooting across it twice as fast. Anyone who's seen BASEketball knows that free time, liquor a dumb idea can lead to something magical.

What would life be without the LIRR?

Date: March 2012
Location: Chicago, IL

Don't mouth off to police—especially on St. Patrick's Day. Most likely, they've spent a significant portion of the day on their feet, dealing with drunken disasters. Chicago police have zero tolerance for BS (need we explain why?), so after receiving a little too much sass from a liquored up tough guy, the officer put his foot down, or rather his hand around the kid's neck.

He proceeded to carry dude across the street by the throat, parading him around as an example of what happens when you cross the line with Johnny Law. He finally placed him on the ground and held him there until backup arrived to deal with the situation. The kid's girlfriend tried to warn him, as she seemed very aware where the incident was headed. The crowd loved it (or rather loved that it wasn't them). Are you not entertained?!

Date: March 2012
Location: New York, NY

After you've enjoyed several hours of binge drinking on St. Patrick's Day, it's in your best interest to head home. Liquor and lingering often lead to disasters, like this fight that took place in the West Village last year. Thanks to drunken idiots, customers couldn't even enjoy their fast food in peace, because they were too busy marveling at the all-out brawl going on just a few feet away from them. Granted, they were protected by glass, but what about the pedestrians just trying to go home after a day of trying to steer clear of drunken idiots just like the ones you see in this video.

Enough preaching, though—the guy who who executed the devastating kick you see about five seconds into the video is a beast. In the WorldStar era, every liquor-fueled brawl has the potential to become both the fight of the century and an Internet phenomenon.

Date: March 2011
Location: Albany, NY

Keggs & Eggs is a timeless precursor to St. Patrick's Day in Albany, NY, so who would University of Albany students be to fuck tradition up? Hundreds of students caused pandemonium, tossing furniture onto vehicles from porches, smashing car windows, and pegging police officers with beer bottles. Fueled by liquor and the camaraderie of being a stupid college student, one particularly rowdy bunch pushed a car into the road on some Incredible Hulk shit after first kicking in its doors and stomping on its roof. That's thousands of dollars worth of damage that they were proud of—who raised these heathens?

Anyway, over 40 of them were arrested between this little disaster and the actual parade. Think they learned anything?

Date: March 2012
Location: New York, NY

Blood isn't thicker than water. In fact, the only thing thicker than water is alcohol. Last year, an NYPD officer threw a relative to the wolves after the teen and a friend issued a brutal beating to a grown man. Inspector Timothy Beaudette charged 17-year-old Gerard McMullin and 18-year-old Bertram Spielvogel with assault after a fight at a Theater District bar. What the hell were they doing at a bar anyway?

According to the New York Post, the two teens got into a staring competition with 23-year-old Ben Gold. Apparently the teen decided to smash Gold in the head with a glass bottle. Gold later received stitches to close his wounds, and the teens were arrested. McMullin was charged with misdemeanor assault, while Spielvogel was charged with felony assault.

Date: March 2012
Location: Solon, OH

An Ohio St. Patrick's Day Party turned into an arrest party when the host and 30 other people got locked up in Solon. After receiving complaints about a "loud party," police arrived at the home and discovered a bunch of underage teens fleeing the house and running into the woods. That didn't stop police from grabbing most of them, even though they resisted arrest in an extremely aggressive manner. According to a police statement, there was "evidence of drug and alcohol abuse" all over the house.

Thirty-one people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested. Another 10 juvies were turned over to the city's juvenile officer for charges to determine whether or not they should be charged. Eighteen-year-old Spencer Wien, the party's host, was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and selling liquor to underage people. Twenty-year-old Donald Williams was also charged with resisting arrest, drug abuse and obstruction of justice. If it sounds like Project X, that's because it's something like Project X.

Date: March 2011
Location: Hoboken, NJ

Hoboken's annual St. Patrick's Day parade got so turnt in 2011 that they had to cancel it last year, replacing it with a watered down pub crawl that's cleverly titled "Lepre-Con." That's weak as hell, but if you consider the carnage of the previous year, it's understandable: 34 people were arrested, and another 136 were hauled off in ambulances. Officials at the main hospital in Hoboken say they admitted 166 people-a record-high for a single day at the hospital. Someone set their backyard on fire, a teenage lunatic with a knife scared people, and a man in green boxers peed in a stairwell.

When two women reported that they were sexually assaulted, mayor Dawn Zimmerman demanded that the parade be held on a weekday, as if that was going to calm the madness. Organizers responded by canceling the parade, and Hoboken was left with Lepre-Con. It may be a lame replacement, but crime was down in 2012.

Date: March 2012
Location: Dallas, TX

This guy, who looks like a combination of Flea and any folk singer, was arrested for trying to fight a Dallas police officer last St. Patrick's Day. He lost. The best part of the story is that the fight involved a man named Jordan Ross Booze and another person because Booze allegedly stole something from the man. When police tried to break the fight up, Booze started swinging at police and headbutted officer Christopher DeLeon, then punched him square in the nose. That was the worst thing he could've done. Furious that Booze had made him bleed his own blood, officer DeLeon executed a vicious takedown, but Booze continued to fight like a rabid animal with one hand restrained. DeLeon willingly kneed Booze three times before finally getting him to tap out.

Booze was charged with felony assault on a public servant and was sent to the Dallas County Jail, popped collar and all. With a last name like "Booze," an alcohol-related arrest was his destiny.

Date: March 2012
Location: Seattle, WA

Before you commend this woman for being responsible, stop yourself. If she were responsible, she would've taken a cab home, or she wouldn't have gotten that wasted in the first place. Anyway, a state trooper was unable to access the entrance to King County Jail because a vehicle was blocking it. After realizing that it wasn't a police vehicle, the trooper approached the car and discovered a woman who explained that she dropped her cell phone and pulled into the conveniently placed driveway to find it. Because she's the luckiest woman of all-time, she drove herself right to jail and didn't even realize it.

The immediately picked up on the telltale signs of intoxication, and the woman was promptly arrested. Neither she, nor the trooper had to travel a significant distance.

Date: March 1990
Location: Boston, MA

Yeah, yeah, we already know-the last thing you want to hear about is a tale of crime out of Boston worthy of the big screen. This one is different, because it was very well planned and remains unsolved 23 years later. On St. Patrick's Day 1990, two men clad in police uniforms and fake mustaches posed as if they were investigating a disturbance at the Isabella Gardener Museum before handcuffing the security guards and snatching up over a dozen pieces art totalling $300 million in 90 minutes flat. Authorities suspected everyone from a South American drug cartel, the Japanese underworld and local mobsters were involved in the heist. To this day, it's still the biggest unsolved hesit in this great country's storied history.

Ratchet? Maybe. Remarkable? Absolutely.

Date: March 2012
Location: Fairview Heights, IL

St. Patrick's Day is usually a very busy day for law enforcement, as groups of police officers are typically needed to deal with the droves of drunken buffoons. However, James Krummerich decided that he wanted to get in on the fun. The 47-year-old Fairview Heights police officer was arrested for DUI after Belleville police noticed that he appeared, well, wasted behind the wheel. It was a pretty embarrassing experience for the 15-year veteran of the Fairview Heights Police Department. After posting bond, he and his flair were released.

Date: March 2012
Location: Indianapolis, IN

A celebration ended in gunfire last year when five teenagers were shot near the Downtown Canal in Indianapolis. The gunshot—-which came from a vehicle—scattered the crowd before police eventually stopped it. According to authorities, one person was left in critical condition and the rest in serious condition at various hospitals in the area. Though none of their injuries were life-threatening, Police spokeswoman Linda Jackson said that the oldest of the victims as just 18-years-old.

Date: March 2012
Location: Stockton, CA

In 2012, police in Stockton were busy on St. Patrick's Day, after they were forced to deal with a shooting that left one man dead. An alleged gang member killed a 22-year-old and wounded two others during an incident that took place outside of a bar. Twenty-year-old Richard Gonzalez, Jr. was arrested for shooting 22-year-old Isaiah Leiva several times. Another 22-year-old was shot, and a 21-year-old was pistol whipped. None had gang affiliations.

Date: March 2012
Location: London, Ontario

What's to be said and done when a simple St. Patrick's Day celebration offers images worthy of a post-apocalyptic film? Eight students from London, Ontario's Fanshawe College were suspended after a little party turned into one of the worst riots in the history of the city. An estimated 1,000 people tore the city to shreds, ripping fences apart, hurling beer bottles and police and firefighters and setting fire to a CTV news vehicle. It all looks and sounds exactly like what Joe Strummer described on "London Calling," and he wasn't even talking about that London.

Fanshawe College president Howard Rundle even said that the school had created an secure email account so that students could send them information or videos that they had collected from the madness. Students took it a step further and set up a Facebook page to identify participants, but even Rundle thought that was a bit much, suggesting that students leave the investigation to the professionals. In total, it's estimated that $100,000 worth of damage was done.

Date: March 20012
Location: Baltimore, MD

Though technically this occured the day after St. Patrick's Day, it happened during the holiday weekend and is exceptionally brutal. A 31-year-old man from Arlington, VA was beaten, stripped, robbed, and left on the streets of Baltimore. According to a police report, the victim—whose name has not been released—was returning to his hotel after a night of partying at the Inner Harbor's Power Plant Live when someone grabbed something from his pocket and fled. After he gave chase, someone punched him in the face and he hit the ground so hard that the impact was clearly audible. Onlookers chose only to record the incident as the assailants took the keys to his Audi, his iPhone, and a TAG Heuer watch that cost about $1,300. When the victim woke up the next day, he had no memory of what happened to him. That is, until video of the attack went viral.

The video became a viral sensation, and disgusted viewers helped police identify the suspects. Twenty-year-old Aaron Parons was the first to be arrested after turning himself in on April 13—a Friday. Soon after, three other suspects—Shatia Baldwin, 21; Shayona Davis, 20; and Deangelo Carter, 19-were arrested. Police charged Davis with armed robbery, because she used her high-heeled shoe as a weapon. Last May, 13 of the 24 charges against the four defendants were dropped, including first-degree assault. Parsons, Davis, and Carter were all sentenced in July; Parsons and Baldwin were both sentenced to three years in prison, while Davis and Carter were sentenced to a year with time served.

Parsons, who threw the first punch, offered an apology because he knew the case had brought shame to the city.