Ntshanga Arrest Story Contained Factual Inaccuracies

I would like to respond to the article you printed on April 8, 1994 concerning the arrest of Inati Ntshanga at Matthews Hall. Your article was factually inaccurate in several important ways

The facts are as follows. On December 29, 1992, at 6:45 in the morning the building superintendent at Matthews Hall heard noises coming from the basement linen drop off room and was suspicious. The dorm was closed for Christmas vacation, there were no students in the building and no one was supposed to be in it at that hour.

When Harvard University police officers responded to the call, they entered the open drop off room and found a young man lying on a counter, wrapped in a blanket, using laundry bags as pillows, speaking on his own telephone that he had connected into an outlet .

The officer's first reaction was that the man was living in the laundry room; in addition to the blankets and pillows on the counter, he had wired his own lamp into the electrical system. There was a bicycle resting nearby and a CD player was operating.

The police officers approached the man and asked him who he was and what he was doing there. The man refused to give his name or to state what he was doing there. The officers repeated their question, but the man gave no answers. he repeatedly refused to give his name.

The police officers saw that the man had a ring of keys that they recognized as master keys to several Harvard dormitories and houses. As their supervisor., I was summoned to the scene.

I attempted to learn his identity but he would not tell me who he was or what he was doing in a closed dormitory before dawn. Neither the building superintendent nor other employees could identify him.

The officers and I gave the young man every opportunity to identify himself. He did not give his name. He did not produce any ID card or other identification. He did not say that he was a Harvard student. he did not say that he worked for HSA. he said only that he "worked" in the dormitory, but he gave no explanation of what he meant .

The officers and I warned the man several times that if he did not provide his name and an explanation of what he and his belongings were doing in Matthews Hall at that hour, we would have no choice but to place him under arrest.

He continued to refuse to provide this information. We then placed him under arrest and transported him from Matthews Hall to the Harvard Police Department at 29 Garden Street.

After he had arrived at 29 Garden Street, the man for the first time identified himself as Inati Ntshanga and for the first time stated that he was a Harvard student. If he had done this before his arrest, the arrest and arraignment might very well have been avoided.

This matter proceeded to an arrest because Mr. Ntshanga refused to say who he was or what he was doing in the early morning with Harvard building keys in a closed dormitory.

The actions taken during this incident were not based in any way on Mr. Ntshanga's race.

I would also like to address Mr. Ntshanga's allegations against me, which were reported by you. The allegations concerned an earlier conversation I had with Mr. Ntshanga's several weeks prior to December 29, 1992.

When I was in Matthews Hall on December 29, I did not recognize Mr. Ntshanga as the person with whom I had spoken. But I do recall my earlier discussion with him. I certainly never refused him the opportunity to file a formal complaint with HUPD.

In fact, at the conclusion of our conversation (which was on a Friday night) I advised Mr. Ntshanga that the Chief of Police would be available to speak with him on Monday. Mr. Ntshanga told me that he was satisfied, and that a meeting with the Chief was not necessary.

I unequivocally deny that I ever told Mr. Ntshanga or anyone else that I was prejudiced against Blacks since childhood. This is a blatant lie and I take exception to the allegation.

It is not customary for me to respond to press reports of police activity. I have felt it necessary to do so here because an allegation of racism is serious, and distressing to me and to the officers with whom I work.

You report of Mr. Ntshanga's arrest is incomplete and erroneous. As a sergeant in the Harvard University Police Department, I am committed to the highest standards of professionalism.

Racism has no part in our community, and it played no part in my actions of the actions of any officer on December 29, 1992.