POLICEBEAT

According to police reports, the student called university police from an emergency phone near the UA Visitor's Center on the corner East University Boulevard and North Cherry Avenue at midnight to report the man harassing him.

As the student made the call, an approaching officer saw the man, Michael M. Vaughan, 45, of the 4200 block of North Flowing Wells Road, head north toward the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd., according to reports. The officer interviewed the victim as other officers wrestled a knife away from Vaughan, reports stated.

The student told police he was walking on the mall when Vaughan approached him and asked how to get to the University Medical Center. The student gave Vaughan directions, then continued to walk east on the mall.

Vaughan followed him and asked the student for money, according to reports. The student told him "no". Vaughan allegedly began to swear at the student and threaten him, reports stated.

The student told police, as he used the emergency phone, that Vaughan continued to threaten him. Vaughan then allegedly reached into a cardboard box and pulled out a glass bottle, according to reports. The student told police he never saw a knife in Vaughan's hand.

When officers reached Vaughan, they saw a knife in his right hand, according to reports.

When Vaughan refused to give up the knife, an officer struck him in the chest and knocked him down to the ground, reports stated. The officer stepped on his right hand, forcing him to let go of the knife, reports stated.

As officers tried to handcuff him, Vaughan attempted to kick one of the officers. He told police his left hand was injured and officers took him to Kino Community Hospital, 2800 E. Ajo Way. He was later released from the hospital and taken to Pima County Jail.

A female student called police Jan. 7 to report a man harassing her as she walked to her car, police reports stated.

The student told police she walked to her car, parked in a Zone 1 lot at the corner of East Sixth Street and North Tyndall Avenue, at 5:07 p.m. when she saw a white car pull in a few spots away.

The woman told officers the man in the car stared at her as she walked by, then leaned back in his seat and, "started moaning and groaning," reports stated.

The student told police she avoided his car, but she believed he was masturbating, reports stated.

The student got into her car and followed the man in order to get his license plate number, but he made a U-turn and drove away, according to reports.

The student told police she would recognize him if she saw him again because he, "kept looking at her," reports stated.

Police arrested a Tucson man Saturday on suspicion of disturbing the peace after he yelled at officers and refused to leave a university-area apartment, police reports stated.

When officers arrived at 10:14 a.m., they saw Gerald Francisco, 31, of the 4900 block of South Highland Avenue, standing next to the driver's side door of a car parked in an apartment driveway at South Plumer Avenue and East 15th Street. Officers heard him yelling obscenities at the woman in the car, reports stated.

The woman in the car told police she had pulled up to her boyfriend's apartment when Francisco allegedly approached her car and began to yell at her. She told officers she stayed in her car, turned on the alarm and locked the doors, reports stated.

Officers told Francisco to leave, but he began to yell and refused to go, reports stated. The woman told officers Tucson police had been there the night before and told Francisco to leave.

When officers told Francisco to leave again, he allegedly he walked out into the middle of 15th Street and began to yell again, reports stated.

According to reports, Francisco told police he had drunk a bottle of Tequila. He was booked into Pima County Jail.

Police Beat is compiled from official University of Arizona Police Department Reports.