HUPD Officer Assaulted on Mass. Ave.

A Boston man reportedly assaulted a Harvard University Police Department officer last Saturday along Massachusetts Ave. and attempted to flee the scene, before ultimately being arrested by Cambridge Police, accoring to a police report.

Peter Harris, 47, was arrested on Oct. 18 for assault and battery on a police officer and disorderly conduct after he allegedly hit a HUPD officer outside Zinnia Jewelry at 1300 Mass. Ave. The suspect reportedly attempted to flee the Square in a cab.

According to the police report, Harris punched the hood of a HUPD cruiser, in which a patrolling officer was sitting. The officer then got out of the vehicle to speak to Harris, who responded “very aggressively,” according to the report. Harris allegedly refused to cooperate with the officer after being asked to sit down and show identification. Harris then reportedly swung and hit the officer on his right shoulder.

The HUPD officer attempted to place Harris under arrest, but Harris resisted and tried to flee the area by getting in a cab. The cab driver then stepped out of the car, leaving Harris in the back seat, Cambridge Police spokesperson Jeremy Warnick said.

Soon after, Cambridge Police officer Doyell Joseph arrived at the scene and helped pull Harris out of the cab. The officers then placed him under arrest and booked him at the Cambridge Police Department.

“Like we do with Harvard and with MIT and with state police, if there’s a situation in which they require or request support, [CPD] will assist right away,” Warnick said.

Harris was arraigned on Monday in Cambridge District Court. He is being held without bail and will appear before the court on Dec. 2. Warnick added that Harris will likely face a more severe sentence for assaulting an officer.

—Staff writer Mariel A. Klein can be reached at mariel.klein@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @mariel_klein.