By Dan E. Way

dway@heraldsun.com; 918-1035

CHAPEL HILL -- More than two dozen UNC students were charged with underage drinking at a raucous party Friday night, and a couple more were nabbed as they attempted to flee, town police said.

"It's not unusual, but I wouldn't say it's an every Friday night/Saturday night occurrence" during which so many university students are cited for alcohol violations at a lively, off-campus celebration," Chapel Hill Police Lt. Kevin Gunter said.

"We responded to a loud noise, loud party call," at 309 McDade St. around midnight Friday, Gunter said. "When the officers got there they noticed a lot of noise coming from what looked like a converted garage that had been turned into an apartment."

When officers knocked on the door, a young man answered the door and said he was not a resident at that address, but would go find one. When he went to search for a resident, he left the door ajar.

"It was evident that there was some drinking that had occurred," Gunter said, because officers could see liquor bottles through the open door. Then a young woman appeared.

"She said she was the resident, she was underage and she had been drinking," Gunter said, and that there were other students under the legal age limit of 21 who were drinking inside.

"They were asked to come outside, to which they complied," Gunter said. Citations were issued to "about 25 out of the 30 or 40 that were inside."

During the course of the ID checks, "a couple of them apparently attempted to flee, but they didn't get very far," Gunter said. "Officers were able to corral them." They were charged with resist, obstruct and delay.

"There were an awful lot of folks at this one particular location," Gunter said. "We do occasionally get calls about these large gatherings."

And that is what happened on Friday.

"A resident was concerned by it, and obviously it was a nuisance" as the night wore on and the noise got louder, Gunter said.

UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp said full details of the party had not yet reached his office. He said such off-campus infractions generally are handled by the Office of the Dean of Students. Attempts were unsuccessful to reach that office for comment about what, if any, campus consequences may befall the students who were charged.