Student who reported fires arrested

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The Purdue Police Department has arrested 22-year-old Isaiah T. Peedin, the student who reported the fires at Elliott Hall of Music on Purdue campus Monday evening.

Peedin has been arrested on suspicion of arson and perjury. Police allege that Peedin set the fires in the basement of Elliott Hall, then alerted the university's police and fire departments.

Police said that Peedin later supplied them with a description of a person who he said he had seen running from the fire.

A calculus exam was taking place in the building at the time of the fires. All 900 students were safely evacuated from the building for one hour.

“This incident is made even more serious by the fact that Peedin, a member of the Purdue Security Patrol, was on duty at the time and assigned to ensure the safety of those in the theater taking exams,” said Purdue Police Chief John Cox.

Peedin is a sophomore in Purdue's College of Liberal Arts. He is from Martinsville, Indiana. Purdue spokeswoman Jeanne Norberg said Peedin has been employed by the Student Security Patrol for one year.

The student patrol is supervised by the Purdue Police Department, and enhances public safety on the campus in a variety of ways. Among other things, the group assists with traffic control at concerts and sporting events. They also perform bi-weekly emergency telephone and lighting checks.

Purdue began using Student Safety Patrol officers for building surveillance during exams at Elliott Hall this fall, in conjunction with fire-security efforts by Purdue firefighters. These measures were taken because Elliott was built in the 1940s before fire alarm systems were available. The building is on a top-priority list for such upgrades.

The Purdue Police Chief defended the majority of the student patrol members.

"The actions of this lone student are not indicative of the hardworking Purdue students who make up the program," Cox said.

Cox said the student patrol had been an enormous help to the department. He also said that members of the patrol go through extensive interviews and training before they are released to perform their duties.

Cox said that a review will be conducted to see if any changes should be made to the program, based on the information from this case.

Peedin was taken to the Tippecanoe County Jail and information will be forwarded to the county prosecutor. Arson is a felony, and punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Perjury is also a felony, and is punishable by up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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