On April 3, 2001 at 4:25 pm, the University of Pennsylvania Police
Department responded to a radio call regarding a disturbance at Campus
Copy, a privately owned and operated business which is located at
3907 Walnut Street.
As a result of the initial investigation by the responding officers,
it was determined that a disturbance had occurred before the arrival of
the police involving a customer and store employee. Both asserted that
the other had physically assaulted them. There was no evidence of any serious
injury to either party, and further investigation by the responding officers
properly concluded that, since no police officer personally witnessed the
assaults and since the conduct appeared to constitute a simple assault,
no arrests were permissible under Pennsylvania law. Both parties were
accordingly advised, as Pennsylvania law provides, to seek Private
Criminal Complaints through the Philadelphia District Attorney's office
at 1421 Arch Street.
On April 7, 2001, Chief of Police Maureen Rush became aware of the
e-mail in which Gregory Seaton, a University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. student, raised concerns about the treatment that he received
at the hands of the staff of Campus Copy. Chief Rush immediately initiated
a supplemental investigation of the incident that occurred at Campus Copy
on the afternoon of April 3, 2001.
Between April 7, 2001 and April 18, 2001 the University of Pennsylvania
Police Detective unit interviewed eighteen (18) individuals -- specifically,
three Penn Police officers, four UCD Safety Ambassadors, one Allied-SpectaGuard
security officer, one University of Pennsylvania professor, seven Campus
Copy employees and the two complainants. None of the Police, UCD Safety
Ambassadors or the Allied-SpectaGuard Officer witnessed the altercation;
all arrived after the event in response to the radio call.
As a result of these interviews, the final determination of this
investigation shows that each complainant believes the other party assaulted
him first. Since the University of Pennsylvania Police officers did not
personally witness the assaults, and there were no substantial physical
injuries to either party or evidence of intent to cause serious bodily
injury, both complainants were advised, in accordance with the Pennsylvania
law regarding simple assault, to seek further resolution through
the Philadelphia District Attorney's Private Criminal Complaint process.