Boston Police Department (BPD) officers arrested one man and summonsed another Saturday night after the men were allegedly attempting to inject heroin in a bathroom in 716 Columbus Ave., the same building that houses the Northeastern University Division of Public Safety (NUPD) office, according to a BPD incident report.
One of the men, Jason Ryan, of Roxbury, was arrested for possession of a class A substance (heroin) and possession of class B, C and E substances (suboxone, klonopin, and gabapentin). The second, unidentified man, was summonsed to court for possession of a class A substance (heroin) and possession of a class B substance (suboxone). Neither suspect is affiliated with the university.
Around 8:30 p.m., BPD Drug Control Unit officers saw two men at the corner of Tremont and Cunard Streets who appeared to be waiting for someone. According to the incident report, after a brief meeting with another man, one of the original two men “opened his hand and showed [the other man] a small unknown item.”
Officers followed the men as they entered the NUPD station at 716 Columbus Ave. and took the elevator to the second floor.
BPD Officer Richard Casallas spoke to an officer at the front desk and, according to the police report, the front desk officer said he didn’t know the men but presumed they did not belong in the building.
When Casallas entered the bathroom on the second floor, he found the two men in the process of preparing heroin for injection.
Officer Casallas saw one man holding a hypodermic needle in his right hand and the other man holding a bottle cap, according to the police report. These items are commonly used to inject heroin intravenously.
After a brief struggle in the bathroom, NUPD officers Michael Hennessey, Jason Persampieri, Deric McGill and Sergeant Michael Rusak, joined by three BPD officers, responded to assist.
Officers arrested Ryan for possession of heroin and a prescription bottle in the name of another person containing half a suboxone pill, three and a half pills of klonopin and seven pills of gabapentin. Ryan told officers he paid a man on a bicycle $30 for the heroin at the corner of Tremont and Cunard Streets.
Ryan also had a previous warrant for breaking into a depository, which is legally designated as any building containing a safe. NUPD officer Hennessey drove Ryan to BPD district D-4 headquarters for booking. The second man was summonsed to court for possession of heroin and suboxone.
Jake Wark, press secretary for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, did not have the details of the case and declined to comment.
The front doors to 716 Columbus Ave. are open 24 hours a day because the NUPD office is always open. The doors to the elevators and the rest of the building lock, but NUPD officials declined to say at what time that occurs. Just like any academic building, there are signs that say “no trespassing” on the doors and people do not need to sign or swipe in to gain access to the building NUPD officials said.
Some students said although they feel safe on campus, Saturday’s incident served as a reminder of the dangers of living in an urban area.
“It doesn’t make me feel any less safe, but I don’t like that idea at all,” said second-year pharmacy major Shahista Kassam. “It isn’t going to disrupt me walking on these streets, but it will definitely make me think twice about talking to strangers.”
Although heroin offenses are not common on campus, Saturday’s incident was not the first in recent years. On Sept. 23, 2009, a 28-year-old man was arrested in the Ruggles T station for swallowing several small bags of what appeared to be heroin after leaving International Village, according to the Oct. 1, 2009 issue of The News.
“This kind of stuff happens everywhere, but it brings down the reputation of our school,” Kassam said. “I hope that kind of stuff doesn’t happen anymore.”
