Kirkland Summer School Student Arrested at Gunpoint

Former Harvard Summer School student Stefan P. Murphy was arrested by Cambridge police on Monday night upon the discovery that he was wanted on two counts of intimidation in his home state of Indiana, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

A Cambridge police report said that Murphy was also charged with unlawful possession of ammunition, as the police found 14 bullets and a holster in the trunk of his 2003 Mercedes Benz. The Globe reported that Murphy has a valid license to carry firearms in Indiana.

The 31-year-old was studying history and literature at Harvard Summer School, Murphy's court-appointed lawyer Anthony Solimine told the Globe. According to a student who wished to remain anonymous, Murphy lived in Kirkland House and went by his middle name, Paul. The student was granted anonymity to protect his relationship with the Summer School.

Ashley R. Pollock, the assistant dean in Kirkland House for the Summer School and an instructor in the Continuing Education and Special Program, declined to comment. She said that she could not share information about a former student, but confirmed Murphy was no longer a student at the Summer School. She also said that no information would be passed on from the deans to Summer School students or residents of Kirkland House.

Rebecca E. Rollins, the associate director of the Harvard News Office, said in the Globe that the summer school does not conduct criminal background checks on its students. She told The Crimson Wednesday that she had no further information to release at the time. Dean of Students Christopher S. Queen was also unavailable for comment.

A hearing took place in Cambridge District Court at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Murphy is currently held without bail. Matthew Symons, a spokesman for Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, told the Globe that he wanted to bring Murphy back to Indiana. In a phone interview with The Crimson on Wednesday, Symons said that a decision had not yet been made about where to try Murphy.

Charges were initially filed against Murphy on July 6 and he was not found in Indianapolis. Intimidation is classified as a misdemeanor in Indiana, but can become a Class D Felony under certain circumstances. Symons said he had filed a probable cause affidavit but had not determined the reasons that Murphy's charge carried a felony status. If convicted, Murphy could serve up to four years in prison.

Murphy was arrested Monday after making an illegal left turn on Mass. and Western Avenues, according to the Cambridge police report. The Globe reported that after a police officer ticketed Murphy and conducted a background check, officers were informed of the warrant and staked out his car on Oxford Street, where he was arrested.

A spokesman for the Cambridge Police Department did not know of any communication with Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) regarding  safety or student concerns about the fugitive living on campus. HUPD spokesman Steven G. Catalano wrote in an e-mail that a campus safety advisory would not be issued to students.

—Staff writer Kristina M. Moore can be reached at moore2@fas.harvard.edu.