Mather Junior Arrested for Assaulting Police Officers

A Mather House junior was arrested last week for hitting and kicking a police officer and breaking the window of a patrol car, according to Harvard police logs.

Christopher "Kai" Wu '09 was charged with malicious destruction of property and two counts of assault and battery on a police officer.

Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) officers approached Wu, 20, at about 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 16 when Wu allegedly yelled and threw a snowball at a person outside the Faculty Club, the site of the Tri-House winter formal.

When asked to show identification, Wu, who is the vice chair of the College Events Board, refused and became "agitated and belligerent," striking an officer on the arm, according to the log.

After he was placed under arrest, Wu kicked a police officer and then broke the rear window of the police car while seated inside, the log said.

Wu's roommate, Ryan C. Hackett '09, said that Harvard officials asked Wu to leave campus until further notice. Jay Ellison, assistant dean of Harvard College and secretary of the Administrative Board, declined to comment on whether Wu would be subject to disciplinary action.

Wu's friends said that the incident did not reflect Wu's normal behavior, and several said that Wu was intoxicated at the time.

"We didn't believe what happened the first time we heard it because Kai is such a very easy-going, fun person to be around," said Eli S. Kupperman '09. "I think he just had way too much to drink and just lost control of himself."

Wu, the outgoing treasurer of Mather's House Committee, declined to comment for this story.

--Staff writer Nan Ni can be reached at nni@fas.harvard.edu.