A Cambridge jury found a former out-sourced Harvard security guard not guilty yesterday of charges that he assaulted a DeWolfe student in March.
The jury deliberated for an hour yesterday afternoon, before clearing Errol Allen of one count of assault and battery.
"I feel very relieved," Allen said last evening. "This has caused me great pain."
Jesse S. Downs '00-'01 had filed a report with Middlesex County in April accusing Allen, then a guard for Security Systems Inc. (SSI), of assaulting her in the 20 DeWolfe St. laundry room.
Downs had alleged that the assault occurred on March 23. According to Downs, Allen approached her from behind, grabbed her upper left arm, then stumbled around in front of her.
Downs said in her April statement that Allen then stammered something "unintelligible," and she turned and walked away. She said she believed Allen was under the influence of drugs or alcohol--an assertion that apparently was vigorously denied at trial.
In yesterday's proceedings, presided over by Judge Brian Merrick, Downs testified for the prosecution while another SSI guard and Allen's wife, Sybil, testified in his defense.
Downs said she was disappointed by the verdict.
Read more in News
The Weekly Police LogRecommended Articles
-
Sweet Lacks FlavorIts been a while since a Woody Allen film evoked anything like raw emotion. His 1996 movie musical Everyone Says
-
SSI Guard Accused of Assaulting StudentErrol Allen, one of Harvard's out-sourced security guards, has been accused of assault by one of the students he was
-
Assault Charges Filed Against SSI GuardA Harvard senior yesterday filed charges against a Security Systems Inc. (SSI) guard for allegedly assaulting her in the laundry
-
Who Watches the Watchers?It was never a question of whether, but always a question of when. For the University, hiring a private company
-
Cambridge's Area Four: Poverty Tinged With HopeFrom their vartage point in Harvard Square, many would consider Cambridge a city of affluence and majesty. Cambridge is home
-
Arts Weekend Kicks Off
