Youth Attacks University Policeman, Flees After Common Room Struggle

A rowdy local youth who had been wandering suspiciously in and out of Straus Hall assaulted and disarmed an off-duty University policeman last night. The assailant and six companions who had been roaming around the yard pinned the officer to the floor of Straus Common Room and escaped into the Square.

According to official reports, Officer Thomas Scanlon was returning to University Police headquarters out of uniform at 7:15 p.m. when he noticed a gang of teen-age boys creating a disturbance around Straus A and B entries and attempted to disperse them.

Struggle in Common Room

The youths challenged Scanlon's authority and the officer flashed his badge and grabbed one of the rowdies. According to two freshman witnesses, the youth tried to free himself and then flipped Scanlon to the ground.

He started to rejoin his friends who had moved to the other end of the quadrangle during the struggle. But Scanlon drew his gun, grabbed the youth again, led him into the Straus Common Room, and sent a proctor for more police.

In the common room, according to another freshman witness, the youth paced for a few minutes as the officer let his gun hang by his side. Soon, however, seeing his friends at the common room door, the pacing youth kicked the gun from Scanlon's hand, "fell on him" with the aid of his friends, subdued him, and fled toward Harvard Square.

Youths Escape

Scanlon chased the youths without success and then reported to the Health Center to have his kicked hand treated for lacerations.

Scanlon refused last night to comment on the incident, and deferred to the authority of his sergeant, whose official report did not mention that the officer drew his gun or that the youth flipped and disarmed him. Checked again for confirmation, freshmen who witnessed the incident insisted on all three points.