A message from President Machen

March 12, 2010

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

As you return from spring break, I am writing to share with you what happened in an incident at Corry Village involving a graduate student and what we are doing in response.

On March 2, University Police were called to the on-campus housing complex by residents concerned about a disturbance caused by Mr. Kofi Adu-Brempong. After nearly two hours of attempts to resolve the situation, police entered his apartment and during an ensuing encounter the student was shot by the police.

Since that night our thoughts and concerns have been with everyone affected by this incident, particularly Mr. Adu-Brempong, his family, residents of Corry village and the University Police Department. Many questions remain about the events of that evening, and we are awaiting the report of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which is conducting an independent investigation to determine the facts in this case. Be assured, as soon as possible the University will respond fairly and appropriately to the findings, whatever they are. Mr. Adu-Brempong is recovering but faces serious charges.

Once FDLE completed its interviews and data collection for its report, the University began to follow-up with its own internal reviews. The University Police, Department of Housing and Residence Education, and the Counseling and Wellness Center are responding at this time.

Due to the unprecedented nature of this incident, I believe, and Chief Linda Stump agrees, we must go to extra lengths to fully analyze every aspect of this case. For that reason I have retained the firm of Margolis Healy & Associates to closely monitor, review and provide recommendations to the University. Their work will be independent and utilize national norms in assessing what happened and what needs to be done in the future. These public safety experts have impressive credentials, having led university police departments and the associations that accredit them. They will also be available to advise Chief Stump. When their investigation is complete their final report and recommendations will be presented to me and I will release it, in its entirety, to the public.

In the last week UF Student Affairs and Division of Housing staff members have been in touch with Corry Village residents to ensure that lines of communication between the University and the residents remain open. That is why I sent an e-mail to the Corry Village community last week encouraging them to contact FDLE if they have any information to share regarding the shooting. I extend that invitation to anyone who has information they feel may be relevant. We want all the facts in this case to be considered.

As members of an academic community we cherish openness and are mindful of the importance of having all the facts before arriving at conclusions, making decisions or taking action. To that end, I ask that you have patience until the process moves to its conclusion. We will do what is right and keep the University of Florida strong and free.

Thanks for your concern and your attention.

Sincerely,

President Bernie Machen