To the Temple Community, 

Earlier this afternoon, at approximately 1 p.m., Temple University Police Officers responded to reports of an assault on the 3400 block of N.Broad Street at our Health Sciences Center campus. Upon arriving, they found a Temple Health employee who had been struck from behind and knocked to the ground and sustained injuries. They were transported to the Temple University Hospital Emergency Room where they received treatment. 

This incident is deeply unsettling, as no student or employee should fear for their safety while walking down a public street. The Department of Public Safety Investigations Unit is currently investigating the incident, reviewing all video footage, and exhausting all leads. They immediately released a picture of a person of interest to seek the public’s assistance in identifying the individual.  Fortunately, due to Investigations’ quick action, a person of interest is currently being detained as the investigation continues. 

The safety of our students, faculty and staff will always be our top priority, and we are grateful for the efforts of our police officers, who responded swiftly and our detectives who are investigating the incident. 

We encourage students, faculty and staff to continuously familiarize themselves with the university’s available safety resources, like the walking escort program and Flight. More safety resources can be found at safety.temple.edu. Temple Police can be called at any time by dialing 215-204-1234.  

For faculty and staff members, our employee assistance program offers support and resources 24/7 online or call 1-888-267-8126.

Sincerely,  

Jennifer Griffin 
Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police