Men Drive Volkswagen Into Lowell Courtyard; University Police Subdue and Arrest One Man

Four young men drove a light blue Volkswagen beetle into the Lowell House courtyard Monday night at 12:30 a.m. University Police arrested one man in the incident.

The men drove through the main archway of Lowell House, down the steps leading to the main courtyard, circled the courtyard twice and entered the smaller courtyard, Robert Rivkin '82, who witnessed the incident, said yesterday.

Mary Lee Bossert, co-master of Lowell House, said, "I looked out of my window and I saw the headlights coming down the stairs very quickly." "The car was driving very fast and very wildly," Roderigo Garcia '82, another eyewitness, said yesterday.

The men tried to drive the car out again but failed to get the car back up the steps, Rivkin said. He added the police determined the men were not Harvard students.

Stranded

Rivkin said the Harvard Police arrested one man in the small courtyard who stayed with the stranded car.

Captain Jack U. Morse of the University Police yesterday refused to comment on the incident.

The other three men walked out of the courtyard before the police arrived, Rivkin said. He added that "the many" students in the courtyard made no attempt to stop the three from walking out.

Rough Arrest

The arrest "was very rough," Rivkin said. He added that the Harvard policeman had to force the man to the ground to subdue him.

The man resisted arrest and struggled with the policeman, Rivkin said, adding he believed the man was intoxicated.

"It wasn't until the second policeman arrived that they got him handcuffed and under control," Rivkin said. He added that the man shouted that the first policeman had hit him and "that he would have his day in court."

William A. Bossert, master of Lowell House, said, "The young man appeared to be under the influence of drugs."

Bossert, an eyewitness, refused to comment on the details of the arrest.

Big Concern

"My biggest concern was for the safety of Lowell House students," Bossert said.

Mary Lee Bossert said the car was towed out of the courtyard last night.