Dining Employee Arrested in Kitchen Assault

A Kirkland House dining hall worker was arrested Saturday night for allegedly assaulting a co-worker with a grill scraper and aggressively pushing another employee.

And when police arrived to investigate the incident, the employee was holding a knife above his head.

Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) officers arrested Earl Moss, 40, of Roxbury, on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and threats to commit a crime, according to HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano.

The incident began when Moss, an employee of Kirkland House dining hall, confronted a co-worker and alleged that the employee had made inappropriate comments about Moss, Catalano said.

“The other dining hall employee denied making any such statements, at which time Moss struck the other employee with a grill scraper several times,” Catalano said.

A Kirkland House security guard then entered the kitchen, where the incident was taking place, and positioned himself between Moss and the victim.

Catalano said the victim, who did not suffer any serious injuries, fled the area. Moss then attempted to pursue the victim.

“Another employee tried to stop Moss, at which point Moss assaulted that victim by pushing him,” Catalano said.

He added that Moss made “threatening remarks that he was going to inflict bodily harm to the victims” throughout the incident.

Officers were sent to Kirkland to investigate a fight in progress at 8:55 p.m. on Saturday.

Kirkland’s security guard informed the officers that the fight was over and that there was still a “very agitated” person in the dining hall, Catalano said.

When the officers got to the kitchen, Catalano said they “encountered [Moss] who was in possession of a knife and had the knife raised above his head.”

The officers instructed Moss to drop the weapon, and he complied, Catalano said. Officers then handcuffed Moss.

After interviewing witnesses, officers determined the details of the earlier fights and subsequently arrested Moss.

Witnesses of the incident included the two victims, the security guard and another dining hall worker, Catalano said.

Kirkland House dining hall workers declined comment yesterday.

“I’m not aware of any students, faculty or staff witnessing the incident in the dining hall,” Catalano said.

He said that the incident likely occurred as the employees were cleaning up from dinner.

“We don’t know what was going on before,” Catalano said. “But we can assume from the hour that they were cleaning up the dining hall.”

And Catalano credited the Kirkland security guard with helping the arrest.

“He put himself in harm’s way in order to prevent victimization,” he said. “He acted above and beyond the call of duty.”

Catalano said Moss will be arraigned today in Middlesex County District Court.

—Staff writer Hana R. Alberts can be reached at alberts@fas.harvard.edu.