Harvard Briefs

Student Assaulted In Front of Winthrop House

An unidentified man assaulted a female student in front of Winthrop House as she walked towards Eliot House last Thursday evening.

As she walked on the sidewalk of Mill St., a 5'6 white man with long, dark, scruffy hair punched the student in the face.

"The suspect struck her in the face with a closed fist with no apparent motivation," said Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) spokesperson Peggy McNamara.

The suspect then continued walking down the street, reading a newspaper he had been carrying.

The victim was not seriously injured from the attack and did not need to be hospitalized.

"She did receive some swelling to her lip but she refused any further treatment," said McNamara.

The suspect was wearing a black, long-sleeved t-shirt, black jeans, a hat and large headphones.

McNamara also said that there was a witness to the assault who has been interviewed by HUPD.

HUPD urges anyone with information regarding the incident to call the Criminal Investigation Unit at (617)495-1796.

Chemical Spill Shuts down Oxford Street

Mallinckrodt, located at 12 Oxford Street and home to the chemistry department, was evacuated early Sunday morning after a hazardous materials spill.

Pyridine, a clear liquid that evaporates easily and can cause liver damage, was spilled in a refrigerator at the lab.

The Cambridge Fire Department (CFD) and the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) responded after the spill was reported at about 12:45 a.m.

"They evacuated the building and then it took the hazardous materials unit about an hour and a half to clean out the building," said Sergeant Daniel Brown of HUPD.

HUPD and CFD shut down Oxford and Kirkland streets as a precaution while the spill was being contained.

The spill did not result in any injuries and the street was reopened within hours.

--Staff writer Joseph P. Flood can be reached at flood@fas.harvard.edu