Police break up party with at least 1,000 attendees near Florida State University

Police say they broke up a party with more than 1,000 attendees over the weekend at a housing complex near Florida State University's campus.

The party was one of more than a dozen large crowds officers broke up over the weekend, the Tallahassee Police Department said in a news release Sunday evening.

Just before midnight on Saturday, officers found more than 1,000 people gathered outside a student apartment complex with about 700 vehicles blocking travel lanes, police said. The crowd was safely dispersed by officers with the assistance of a Leon County sheriff’s helicopter.

The apartment complex, Tenn Street Apartments, is about two miles west of Florida State University.

The party bust comes after the university recorded nearly 1,500 positive Covid-19 test results since testing started on Aug. 2. Among the 2,072 tests conducted the week of Sept. 20, 51 positives, or 2.5 percent, were reported. The numbers have not been updated since Sept. 26.

In a Sept. 18 letter addressed to students, FSU President John Thrasher said there would be consequences for those who refuse to comply with public health guidelines.

“Students who endanger the community with actions such as hosting or attending a large party or gathering will be subject to suspension,” Thrasher wrote in the letter.

“The FSU Police Department, the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office are partnering to monitor bars, restaurants and off-campus residences where the Centers for Disease Control and university guidelines are not being followed.”