The University of Memphis’ Department of Public Safety has issued a personal safety alert urging students to take extra precautions while out at night.
Since Dec. 1, there have been six off-campus armed robberies in the U of M area. The most recent incident occurred Feb. 16 at around 1:45 a.m. in the apartment complex at 532 Brister.
According to the Memphis police report, a 25-year-old U of M student was approached by a man armed with a black revolver. The suspect demanded money and fired one shot, striking the student’s leg. The suspect then fled the scene without taking anything from the student.
The personal safety alert describes the suspect as being an African-American male, approximately 6’1”, with a slim build and short natural hair.
Witnesses to the crime reported seeing a white car at the scene. Whether the car was involved in the incident is currently unknown.
The victim, who asked to remain anonymous, is in stable condition, but remains traumatized.
“It happened so fast,” the victim said. “I don’t remember a lot of what happened because of the trauma. Apparently I was walking home from RP Tracks, and I was walking through a parking lot. My friend was walking ahead of me, and he said that he heard two guys arguing. We saw them and one of them pulled out a gun.”
Although the robbery did not take place on campus, The U of M Department of Public Safety believes students should have accurate knowledge of the incident.
“Because it happened so close to campus, we wanted all students to be aware of what is going on,” said U of M crime prevention coordinator Maurice Williams. “We also want to remind students to watch their surroundings at all times and to use the Tiger Patrol.”
The safety alert urges students to avoid walking alone after dark. If threatened, students should find the nearest public place and call the local police.
Emergency phones are located around campus and parking gate phones can be used to contact University police.
For more information about campus safety, visit The U of M public safety Web site, http://policies.memphis.edu, or contact Maurice Williams at 678-4553.
