Suspects arrested after assault

A University Police officer and student suffered concussions early yesterday morning after being struck by two suspects who allegedly assaulted the student and then resisted arrest a few minutes later. University Police Detective John Peterson said the suspects were charged with three counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and resisting arrest. Police could not release the suspects' names until after their arraignment, which was scheduled for yesterday at midnight. The student and University Police Officer Len Harrison were both treated and released from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The incident began at approximately 1:25 a.m. yesterday, when two men began harassing a student inside the University Pinball gameroom at 40th and Spruce streets. The harassment quickly escalated and the suspects allegedly assaulted the student, giving him a concussion. College senior Brett Levinson, who lives on 40th and Spruce streets, witnessed the attack, which he described as "vicious." "I saw a black male sitting on the student and swinging his arms onto the guy," he said. "After an employee [of University Pinball] came to help the student, the suspect stomped him before fleeing." He added that the student appeared to "swagger" after being helped up. Soon after the assault, an individual at the scene told University Police Sgt. Thomas Rambo that the suspects were fleeing east on Locust Walk, according to Peterson. Rambo then radioed other officers, who arrested the suspects in front of High Rise East. But as the officers attempted to place the suspects inside a University Police van, the two men resisted arrest. After trying to break a window on the van, one of the suspects allegedly kicked Harrison in the face, giving him a concussion, while the other suspect escaped on foot. University Police officers swarmed around the area, arresting one suspect outside the Steinberg Conference Center and the other at the Wawa convenience store at 38th and Spruce streets. Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush explained that striking a police officer automatically brings charges of aggravated assault instead of simple assault. Rush added that the incident is indicative of the difficulties with the game room and other businesses at 40th and Spruce Streets. "It just reemphasizes the problem with the kind of business the gameroom brings," she said. Students should be able to feel safe inside those establishments, Rush continued. "For no reason, people start coming up and harassing [the student]," she said. "I'm a little angry that our community members are assaulted so freely like that."