Beatings, stabbing lead to host of charges
By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer
Published on February 15, 2008
A home invasion that led to the beating of several people at off-campus housing for University of Massachusetts students and a stabbing during a racially charged altercation at MacKimmie dormitory are two incidents this month that are prompting university officials to call on the campus community to create a safer environment.
The Feb. 1 home invasion at 304 North Pleasant St. has led to the arrest and arraignment in Eastern Hampshire District Court of three UMass lacrosse players. Christopher R. Casey, 19, of Duxbury, and Ryan T. Marcus, 18, of Mosier Street, South Hadley, both pleaded innocent Monday to charges of assault and battery causing serious bodily harm, and breaking and entering during the nighttime to commit a felony.
Christian M. Haggerty, 19, of West Nyack, N.Y., pleaded innocent Feb. 8 to charges of breaking and entering during the nighttime, aggravated assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot).
All three were released until their pretrial hearings in April, with conditions, including having no contact with the victims, staying away form 304 North Pleasant St. and obeying a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Casey, Haggerty and Marcus were among several people who allegedly returned to the 304 N. Pleasant St. home after being removed from a party there, entered the residence and then injured several people with a variety of weapons, including baseball bats, lacrosse sticks and beer bottles.
Three people went to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton as a result of the incident, where they were treated for facial injuries that included broken noses.
The three players were also among eight members of the UMass lacrosse team who were indefinitely suspended for violating team rules on Feb. 1, possibly in connection with the home invasion.
Amherst Police Capt. Michael Kent said Wednesday that off-campus violent incidents involving students do occasionally happen in Amherst, but this one may have gotten more publicity because the students are also athletes. "It is kind of unusual to have a group from one team involved," Kent said.
Meanwhile, a Hancock, N.H. man stabbed early on the morning of Feb. 3 at MacKimmie dormitory will be charged with civil rights violations, as well as assault and battery, for his involvement in the altercation.
John Bowes, 20, will be summoned to Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown to face charges of disorderly conduct, civil rights violations with injury, and assault and battery to intimidate with bodily injury, according to a statement issued by the UMass news office.
Bowes, who is not a UMass student, allegedly started a verbal confrontation with UMass student Jason W. Vassell, 23, of Boston, around 5:04 a.m. at the lobby of MacKimmie dormitory, where Vassell lives. UMass police say that Bowes, who is white, yelled racial slurs at Vassell, who is black, prior to the stabbing.
Vassell suffered a broken nose, while Bowes was stabbed multiple times by Vassell and was treated for his injuries at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. A second man, Jonathan Bosse, 19, of Milton, was also stabbed and treated and released from Baystate.
Vassell pleaded innocent Feb. 7 to charges of two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Lawyers for Vassell issued a prepared statement on the evening of Feb. 8, in which they qualified the assault as a hate crime against their client.
"We are encouraged to see that authorities are continuing to review this situation. We are hopeful that as their investigation proceeds they will reconsider the charges that have been brought against Mr. Vassell and aggressively prosecute everyone who participated in this despicable hate crime against him," said David Hoose and Luke Ryan, attorneys from Sasson, Turnbull & Hoose of Springfield.
Vassell is out on $1,000 cash bail until pretrial conference March 14. He was ordered to stay away from Bowes and Bosse, refrain from drugs and alcohol, submit to random screenings, live with his parents and observe a 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.
