Students riot after hearing Joe Paterno is fired

Wednesday night after 10 p.m., members of the Penn State Board of Trustees held a news conference. 

Earlier Wednesday, early reports were indicating that longtime football coach Joe Paterno would be retiring at the end of the 2011 season.

It was not long until rumors began surfacing about Penn State President Graham Spanier.

Members of the media traveled from Old Main to the Penn Stater Conference Hotel after word got out that the board was having a meeting.

Nearly 100 members of the media waited hours for any form of information. Around 9:15 p.m., the media was told a news conference would be held that night at 10 p.m.

All members of the Board of Trustees were expected to be present.

During the meeting, members of the board indicated that through a unanimous decision Paterno and Spanier would be fired effective immediately. 

Halfway through the news conference, the media learned a riot was already starting downtown. 

6 News was there to capture the somber and teary-eyed moments of students watching all of this unfold live on television at the HUB-Robeson Center. 

The scene of downtown State College quickly became filled with thousands of angry students.

Students chanted “We love Joe” and “We are Penn State.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Lt. Chris Fishel of the State College police department told 6 News that Tuesday night’s rally was peaceful.

However, Wednesday night was different.

Thousands of students took the streets of State College.  Several street light poles were shaken down, news trucks had their windshields shattered, and a WTAJ news truck was turned over. 

All of this done by angry students.

When 6 News caught up with frustrated students, they said Joe Paterno’s exit is the media’s fault.

Students believe the media has focused too much on Paterno rather than Jerry Sandusky himself.

6 News is still waiting to receive police reports from State College police. It is believed that several students will face charges from Wednesday night’s riot.