Six days after MIT Police Officer Sean Collier was shot and killed in Cambridge MA, local police remain on edge. On Thursday April 25, 2013 I was walking along Quincy Street between Broadway and Harvard Street. A black SUV with Livery license plates stopped to drop off a group of five people. They walked along the narrow sidewalk at about 5:30 PM. One was a Harvard University campus cop.
Harvard University Campus Officer standing guard at Loeb House.
A white SUV with New Hampshire plates stopped on the left side of the street near the Carpenter Center, where parking and stopping is prohibited. There is construction on Quincy Street for the Fogg Museum. Jersey barriers remain in place along part of Quincy Street, restricting traffic flow. Metered parking is allowed on the right side of the one-way street.
A caucasian man carrying paper was walking toward the group of five. One man in the group was signing autographs for his fans. It may have been Matt Damon who was on campus for an award ceremony. I did not recognize the celebrity. Harvard celebrates the Arts First Festival from Thursday to Sunday April 25-28. The group was on its way to Loeb House at 17 Quincy Street, the former residence of the President of Harvard University. Now it is used for high profile receptions and other gatherings.
A closer view.
The HUPD officer accompanying the celebrity was talking with the man who drove the white SUV parked illegally. Another car with New Hampshire plates was right behind the white SUV. The white SUV driver was trying to get the autograph of the celebrity. The officer wanted the man to move his illegally parked SUV. I heard the HUPD officer say loudly, "Now." I guessed that the two drivers were paparazzi chasing Damon or other celebrities.
Realizing what was happening, I passed into the group within a foot of the celebrity who was carrying a vinyl record album. They were moving slowly to allow the celebrity to sign autographs as he walked toward Loeb House. The driver of the white SUV got into his vehicle and parked it in a legal space. I told him that was a Harvard campus officer, who only had jurisdiction on Harvard property not on the streets. He said he did not notice it was a Harvard cop.
The gate leading to Loeb House at 17 Quincy Street
The car with New Hampshire plates sped by almost hitting me. I wondered why I got involved in this, almost getting myself hit by a car. About five minutes later I saw a car pass by with Massachusetts license plates "News Photographer." I began wondering if I was in a movie again. I saw the news photographer about ten minutes later again. I also saw the car with New Hampshire plates again following closely a black SUV with Livery plates. Maybe he was following Damon to get photos for his business. I realized I got caught up in a paparazzi frenzy, the kind seen on TMZ. It was what allegedly caused the death of Princess Diana. Her driver was trying to lose some of the paparazzi who were following her in Paris one day.
Quincy Street near Loeb House, with a car double parked. This is not of interest to the same Harvard Campus officer. Was he earlier just trying to impress the celebrity with his misguided abuse of power?
I realized Harvard's campus police remain negligently trained, after 15 years of my petitioning the university administration, the city government and the state office of public safety. So much for citizen initiative in Massachusetts. The above images were captured at about 5:45 PM Thursday April 25, 2013 shortly after the events described herein.
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