By Jim Sober
Strong protests have arisen over the alleged beating Tuesday night of George Stone, a black West Campus cafeteria worker, by two Boston University security guards.
As he tried to enter West Campus Hall II, Stone was clubbed and pushed by security guard Brady, according to eyewitness reports. Stone, a high school student, was re-entering the dorm along with hundreds of residents and guests after two false fire alarms.
He was then arrested on two accounts of assault upon police officers and for trespassing, and now faces a possible six months in jail.
Officer Brady claims that Stone refused to show his ID card and that he acted belligerently. Both charges were disputed by more than a dozen student eyewitnesses.
Stone claims he was unfairly selected to be checked for an ID in the first place.
“I went right through the door,” said eyewitness Chuck Meixler. “No one mentioned ID’s to me; or to anyone who came in before me. A number of white males pointed to their female escorts, and were then allowed in.” Meixler is a desk attendant at West Campus II.
A leaflet distributed yesterday by several black West Campus residents includes “eyewitness accounts” of the incident.
“After allowing several white students to pass unchecked,” said the black students’ report, “the security guard stopped a brother, George Stone, and demanded an ID. The brother pointed to a sister already inside and indicated that she was his escort. Ignoring this information, the guard said he could not enter and continued to bar Brother George’s way.” ·
“A verbal confrontation ensued,” the report continues, “and resulted in the brother being pulled into the lobby by the security guard, who tried to hit him on the head with a billy club.
“This guard and his partner (Cooper) then pulled him out of view of outraged students who were locked out and unable to help the brothers. When a sister finally ran and opened the door a brother ran over and tried to break up the struggle.”
BU administrators involved in the investigation have refused comment on the matter. They have, at this time, refused to release any of the written statements by the eyewitnesses, by the police, or by the West Campus staff.
BU Security Chief Paul Bates was unavailable for comment yesterday. The two security guards were off duty today. Their phone numbers were not released by the campus police. A decision will be made today on whether the University will press charges against Stone.
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