Ellie Park, Photography Editor

Yale Police officers arrested a student on Monday afternoon inside William L. Harkness Hall. 

A University spokesperson wrote to the News that the student was “suspected of vandalizing university property during last week’s protests on Beinecke Plaza.”

New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson confirmed to the New Haven Independent that Yale Police obtained a warrant charging the student with criminal mischief for allegedly tampering with the American flagpole at Beinecke Plaza during the pro-Palestinian protest April 19.

Last week, students protesting Yale’s investments in military weapons manufacturing pitched a three-night encampment on the plaza, which ended in the arrest of 44 student protesters and a nine-hour occupation of the intersection of College and Grove Streets.

According to Jacobson, the arrested student is currently held at the NHPD’s detention facility at 1 Union Ave., where they will have to spend the night. The state judge in the case has ordered that the arrested student’s $10,000 bond can only be posted in court when they are arraigned tomorrow morning, Jacobson told the New Haven Independent.

According to Craig Birckhead-Morton ’24, who said he witnessed the arrest, at least four police officers intercepted a student protester inside WLH shortly before 3 p.m. Birckhead-Morton said the student was surrounded by police officers and escorted in handcuffs out of the Alexander Walk exit of WLH and put into a Yale Police car.  

Birckhead-Morton further said the student did not seem to expect the arrest. Pro-Palestine protest organizers were also not expecting an arrest at the time, Birckhead-Morton added.

The News identified two police officers in the photos conducting the arrest, including Assistant Police Chief Rose Dell and Police Captain John Healy. 

Outside of WLH on Cross Campus, the News observed Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis meeting with student protest organizers at the time. Lewis declined to comment on the content of the meeting and the arrest. Birckhead-Morton told the News that this meeting was planned for 3 p.m.

This is a developing story that the News will continue to cover. 

Jane Park, Giri Viswanathan, Yolanda Wang, Ariela Lopez, Ben Raab and Khuan-Yu Hall contributed reporting. 

Update, April 29: This article has been updated to include information from the New Haven Police Department about the arrest.