FILMMAKER'S STAGED RAVE TOO REALISTIC FOR POLICE TASTES

Tyler Blair thought he was doing everything right.

The amateur filmmaker and honors student at Michigan State University says
he took every action possible to make sure a Friday-night shoot about a
rave party for his latest movie was within the law.

He even wrote a letter to the Grand Rapids Police Department. "I am
requesting no police presence unless there is a valid reason," the letter said.

But police considered the letter an invitation, and raided the party early
Saturday morning. Blair was cited only for operating an illegal business,
but several partygoers were arrested on drug offenses. "I guess I gave them
everything they needed to arrest us," Blair said. "I called ... and talked
to (police Capt. James Farris) and sent them a letter."

Blair said he was trying to organize a large but well-controlled party at a
friend's house on Fuller Avenue SE to serve as a spoof of rave culture for
his film, "Etards." The title is a slang term for users of the drug ecstasy.

However, police say the party was more real than parody.

"(Blair) asked that the police stay away because he's only got a certain
amount of time to film," Grand Rapids police Lt. Joann Woodfield said.
"Being suspicious as we are, we had a couple officers in the rave. And, of
course, it wasn't at all what it was said to be."

Police were curious because the use of some illicit drugs, especially
ecstasy, has become associated with raves, all-night parties that feature
techno music and often are held in houses or abandoned buildings.

Blair had explicitly requested no police presence because that would "slow
things down tremendously," according to his letter, which he said he sent
two weeks ago.

When police moved in and started making arrests, the party erupted into
chaos, with some people taking foolish actions that made them targets for
arrest, police said.

"This was a three-floor party and as the officers were dealing with people
on one floor, other people were ditching their drugs and other things on
other floors," Woodfield said. "This one entrepreneur had started picking
up everyone's marijuana and stuffing it in his (pants) and was subsequently
arrested for possession of marijuana."

Another person also arrested for possession of marijuana made an effort to
hide it, unaware that plainclothes officers were watching, police said.

"The other person had it hidden in the washing machine and thought he was
very smart by showing someone else that was where he had hidden it,"
Woodfield said.

By the time police finished, two people had been arrested for marijuana
possession and person was arrested for possession with intent to deliver
amphetamines.

Blair and two friends who live in the house were issued citations for
operating an illegal business. Police said one of the friends also carried
brass knuckles and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Though
Blair admits there was illegal activity in the house, he said he didn't
expect any partygoers to bring drugs. And he said neither he nor anyone who
lives at the house knew those arrested for drug possession.

"You can walk into any club, any legit business, there's going to be people
breaking the law," he said. "We tried to run a legit show but we had to
fill it with people."

Blair's first film, "Surfacing," won a local amateur film competition in
March. He said his second film has received financial backing from the
makers of an energy drink used often as a mixer in bars.

Blair said he wanted to comply with police to make sure his project was
within the law.

He said he even honored requests to lower the party's volume, though mostly
for artistic reasons.

"We turned down the noise because we weren't getting good audio quality,"
he said.

James Mulder, who lives next door to the house, said he has never noticed
any problems before Saturday. He said he saw a police car behind the house
about 5 p.m., but was sleeping when the raid happened.

"We get along with them pretty well," he said.

Blair said he plans to seek legal action against the police and plans to
look at what his multiple cameras filmed for evidence to support his
assertion that officers went too far.

"I feel a lot of rights were broken," he said.