 Man Charged With Civil Rights Violations Following Fight in UMass Amherst Residence Hall
Feb. 8, 2008
AMHERST, Mass. – A Hancock, N.H., man will be charged for his alleged involvement in a disturbance at MacKimmie residence hall at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that occurred on Sunday, Feb. 3, UMass police report.
John Bowes, 20, is being summonsed to Eastern Hampshire District Court to face charges of disorderly conduct, civil rights violations with injury, and assault and battery to intimidate with bodily injury. Bowes, who is not a UMass Amherst student, is believed to have instigated a verbal confrontation with student Jason Vassell, 23, which resulted in Bowes being stabbed multiple times. Police say that Bowes yelled racial slurs prior to the stabbing and was involved in the altercation, which resulted in Vassell suffering a broken nose. Bowes is white, and Vassell is African American.
The incident occurred about 5 a.m. Sunday in MacKimmie, which is part of the Southwest residential area. Bowes and Jonathan Bosse, 19, of Milton, Mass., were stabbed during the fight in the building’s lobby, police said. Vassell, a resident of MacKimmie, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a knife) and two counts of armed assault with intent to murder.
Vassell and Bosse have been treated for their injuries and released from area hospitals. Bowes remained in fair condition at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield on Thursday, police said.
The case remains under investigation. Officials are encouraging anyone with information related to the case to contact the UMass Amherst Police at 413/545-2121.
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