Alcohol-linked assaults aggravate weekend crime

Four weekend injuries have forced University Police to examine student alcohol use. A weekend of student assaults believed to be linked to alcohol has prompted University Police officials to focus more attention on an ongoing problem -- underage student drinking at campus parties. Although the four University students injured this weekend in separate incidents -- three of which required medical attention -- highlight how easily alcohol can lead to violence, combating underage drinking has been a top priority for the police all semester. "Lives are ruined forever out of that one split-second decision to be mad at somebody when people are intoxicated and unable to control themselves," Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush said. To combat the late-night security risks caused by over-drinking, University Police regularly shut down all off-campus parties at 2 a.m. -- the same time on-campus fraternity and sorority parties are supposed to end -- to ensure that students don't walk home alone drunk in the middle of the night. Rush also said the department would be working with Liquor Control Enforcement Bureau to let local liquor establishments know that serving minors is a serious offense. "This is unacceptable and under-aged drinking is going to be enforced," Rush said, adding that Penn is not the only school to be looking for ways to deal with this problem. The first aggravated assault of the weekend occurred on the 4000 block of Spruce Street late Saturday night when a male student was grabbed from behind and struck in the head with an unknown object, according to University Police. The student was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received 27 stitches over his left eye. Police have not yet made any arrests in the case, and the incident remains under investigation. A little more than two hours later, police broke up a bloody fight between two groups of students on the 3900 block of Spruce Street. "Three of us were helping one [student] back from another house's off-campus party when we passed two big guys," according to a student at the scene who requested anonymity. "The drunk one among us said something to piss them off and they came back and an argument ensued." The fight ended after one student punched another in the face. The student hit the ground, opening a "large gash" on the back of his head, the student added. The assailant then punched a University Police officer in the face as the officer tried to break up the fight. The injured student was immediately taken to HUP, where he was diagnosed with a concussion and received 20 stitches. He was released from the hospital the next day. The police officer did not require medical attention. Seventy minutes later and two blocks away, an assailant punched and kicked a male student on the 100 block of South 39th Street as he walked home from a party. The student refused treatment, and police have not yet made an arrest in the case. And at 3:50 a.m. -- almost exactly the same time as the previous incident -- a man punched a male student in the face outside the Quadrangle. One of the student's teeth was knocked out during the incident, which is under investigation by University Police. University Police also responded to an off-campus robbery at gunpoint at 11 a.m. Sunday, in which a female student and her boyfriend were held up outside her house on the 4400 block of Pine Street. The boyfriend's wallet was stolen and later recovered, although all of the money in it was taken out. Police have made no arrests in the robbery.