The police officers who locked down Oakland during the G-20 protests in September spiraled completely out of control, according to dozens of university students and other citizens who spoke before Pittsburgh's Citizen Police Review Board last night.

Scott Harrison was headed home from work on the night of Sept. 24 when he got swept up in arrests of hundreds of people in and around the University of Pittsburgh's Schenley Plaza and the Cathedral of Learning. He didn't hear any orders to disperse until after the crowd was gassed and surrounded by riot police, he said.

Then, as he tried to leave the area, police threatened him and two reporters from KDKA-TV with what looked like Tasers.

"What I came away with that night was not trusting Mayor [Luke] Ravenstahl and not trusting city police, because everything they've presented was totally contrary to what I witnessed that night," said Mr. Harrison.

Board members said they will review last night's testimony, as well as statements from a similar meeting in Lawrenceville, at a meeting Dec. 1 and decide what action to take next.

The board's mission is to build understanding and cooperation between the police force and Pittsburgh residents, said board member Marsha Hinton. The G-20 arrests have made that difficult, she said.

"It has decimated whatever respect and trust we had in our department," she said. "Pittsburghers should not have to be frightened of their police department."

One after another, speakers described being pepper sprayed, hit and arrested as they tried unsuccessfully to disperse.

Officers, however, wouldn't let them leave the area. Those who were arrested said they then were held for hours -- in many cases, handcuffed -- without being told their charges.

Of the nearly 200 people arrested during the G-20 summit, at least 96 so far have agreed to perform community service to have their records cleared, according to court administrators. Charges have been held for court against at least 13 people, and charges have been withdrawn or dismissed for another 13.

During recent hearings before city magistrates, police officers testified that they gave the order to disperse because protesters on Pitt's campus were throwing sticks, rocks and bottles at them. But speakers last night said that most people in the crowd were singing, dancing, playing and generally acting like kids before that order was given.

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