A 20-year-old man was arrested following an incident in the Registrar’s Office in Tory Building Oct. 11.
Allan Burns, Carleton’s director of university safety, wouldn’t reveal the name of the individual, but Ottawa police constable Marc Soucy confirmed that Nahian Islam was charged with assaulting a peace officer Oct. 11 at Carleton.
Although Islam was a student at Carleton last year, Burns wouldn’t confirm his status at this point. The university isn’t identifying the individual as a student, said Carleton spokesperson Beth Gorham.
Burns said when three special constables arrived on the scene, the individual became combative and punched a constable in the head. The officer wasn’t injured, Burns said. Before Ottawa police arrived, Islam was seen screaming and yelling inside the office, as staff directed people away.
“There’s a student inside, a student that’s very distressed,” said Lisa Ralph, an associate university registrar, as Islam was screaming.
Melanie Moller, a second-year journalism student, said her class was watching a movie in Tory Building when they heard yelling.
“My prof paused [the movie] and went outside,” Moller said. “Then she just came back in and said, don’t worry, we’re all safe, but you know, there’s someone freaking out in the Registrar’s Office.”
Burns said the individual was banned from campus as of Oct. 7, but returned Oct. 11 to speak to the Registrar’s Office.
“We were called to respond to . . . provide him information on [the ban], and to escort him off campus,” Burns said. “That resulted in the struggle that happened.”
Burns said he couldn’t release any information on the ban, but all bans of that nature come from the president’s office. President Roseann Runte won’t be commenting on the arrest, according to the president’s office.
Islam was arrested Sept. 30 and charged with causing a disturbance and resisting arrest, Soucy said.
He was charged Oct. 11 with failing to comply with his release conditions of that arrest, in addition to assaulting a peace officer, Soucy added.
