Cambridge Police Arrest Two Students

Two Currier House sophomores were arrested by Cambridge Police early Saturday morning after they allegedly created a disturbance in The Store 24 on Mass Ave.

The students alleged yesterday that the three police officers assaulted them during the arrest and continued to mistreat them during their detention at Cambridge police headquarters.

Police officials refused comment on the incident yesterday.

Mark V. Matthews '83 said that one of the officers broke his arm during the arrest and officials at Cambridge City Hospital confirmed yesterday that they treated Matthews for a dislocated shoulder Saturday morning.

Sven M. Grammerstorf '83 said that police held him for four hours without permitting him to make a phone call.

Disorderly Conduct

The two students will appear for arraignment on charges of disorderly condvkt in the Third District Court of Middlesex County this morning.

Matthews and Grammerstorf said yesterday they have not yet decided whether to press charges against the Cambridge police.

Edward F. Walker, a Store 24 employee, said yesterday that he summoned Cambridge police officers at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday and asked them to remove Grammerstorf and Matthews from the store because they had been disrupting business and "playing around" with merchandise.

Grammerstorf said that after the police officers questioned them about their behavior, one officer struck him on the side of the head several times. When Matthews tried to intervene, another officer broke his arm with his club, Grammerstorf said.

"I don't know why the guy started hitting Sven. The attack was totally unprovoked." Matthews said, adding that after he tried to intervene in the fight, the police began punching both of them in the head and stomach.

"All I was trying to do was stop him from beating Sven," Matthews said, adding that the police used unnecessary force because he did nothing to threaten them.

The incident ended when the officers handcuffed the students and forced them to lie over one of the concrete barriers along Mass. Ave., Matthews said.

Walker said he witnessed a struggle between the students and the police, adding that when the officers tried to handcuff and arrest Grammerstorf, the student resisted.

"I did see one of the officers punch him (Grammerstorf) in the stomach, but that was only so they could subdue him." Walker said, adding that he did not see the alleged clubbing of Matthews because he was watching the struggle between Grammerstorf and the police.

University officials yesterday refused comment on the incident and Harvard Police said they were not involved