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MU releases bulletin after uptown incident

Caroline Briggs

A believed friendly gesture took a dangerous turn Sunday night, after a Miami University junior was followed to her apartment by an unknown male.

According to a police report, a female student was walking eastbound on High Street around 8:30 p.m. Sunday evening, heading to her apartment located above Karisma clothing store. The student was talking on her cell phone when a man walking toward her asked, "Hey, how are you doing?"

The student responded, "good," and continued walking past him. The report said when the student looked back, she saw the man quickly turn back toward her. She ran through the entrance to her apartment and up the stairs.

According to the report, the student said the man followed her halfway up the stairs before she shut the door and locked it.

The junior told police that the man was in his 40's or 50's, heavyset with short blond hair and no facial hair. He was wearing a maroon shirt and a dark coat.

Oxford Police Department's (OPD) Sgt. Jim Squance reinforced that OPD officers would be on alert to seek the man who is charged with criminal menacing and criminal trespassing. He also said that the student responded well to the incident.

"She acted promptly," Squance said. "She didn't engage in conversation with the man. She ran and locked the door and immediately called police. That's as much as (OPD) can ask for."

At 2:45 p.m. Monday afternoon, Miami University's Institutional Response Team released a school wide e-mail alerting faculty and students of the incident. The e-mail asked for any additional information and urged students to call 911 if approached by anyone matching the man's description or any other suspicious behavior.

Claire Wagner, assistant director of university communications at Miami, wrote the university information bulletin. Wagner along with Senior Director of Communications Richard Little and Miami University Police Chief John McCandless jointly decided to release the information in order to keep students informed and cautious of potential danger.

"This was an incident that includes clear and present danger to students, so we concurred that it was something that students need to know about," McCandless said.

The three are on the Institutional Response Team, which is a university organization that meets monthly to decide on issues facing the university, including problems with safety, McCandless said.

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The incident also came right before Green Beer Day this Thursday. Student safety during this day is on the mind of police and administration alike, as both Squance and Wagner expressed that students need to be aware that Oxford is not immune to crime.

"I do hope that this incites students to be cautious not only here in Oxford, but also to be mindful of personal safety on spring break next week," Wagner said.