Members of the Brown Community:

On Tuesday, July 25th, the release of police records regarding an arrest in Connecticut prompted widespread news coverage about a suspect named D.J. Hernandez, who served as an assistant football coach at Brown for one season more than a decade ago. Given the suspect’s former employment at the University and the nature of the  threats that led to his arrest, which allegedly referenced the potential for violence at the University of Connecticut and on our campus, Brown has been included in much of the news coverage. I’m writing to share more information and to assure the community that by working quickly with our law enforcement partners, we were able to determine there was no imminent threat to Brown.

Brown’s Department of Public Safety was made aware of the alleged threats on July 18th, when officers from the Bristol Police Department in Connecticut alerted us. Out of an abundance of caution, Brown DPS implemented protective measures immediately, including redeploying police officers on campus, and we remained in contact with police in Connecticut, who arrested the suspect shortly thereafter. Despite reports of an alleged visit by the suspect to Providence, our investigation to date indicates that he had not been on Brown’s campus in the weeks prior to arrest. With the suspect now in custody, we remain in contact with law enforcement in Connecticut taking the lead on the investigation; and we have made the Providence Police aware as well.

While there was no imminent threat to Brown in this case, it’s important to understand the steps that we would take to alert the community in the event we do encounter such a situation. In the event of an imminent threat to safety, Brown DPS will contact community members directly with alerts and information about the nature of the threat and instructions on what steps to take. The University maintains Brown Alert, an emergency campus alert system, that allows us to contact thousands of individuals in minutes if there is an urgent situation or crisis, as well as an Emergency Information webpage where updates are posted. To be prepared for a hostile intruder incident, we recommend that all students, faculty, and staff review Brown’s Hostile Intruder Emergency Response Guidance, which outlines the importance of the Run, Hide, Fight approach to employ in a situation where an intruder is actively trying to cause harm. Finally, if you feel unsafe in any situation, trust your instincts and call Brown DPS at 401-863-3322 or the Providence Police at 401-272-3121.

We appreciate the assistance of the full Brown community in working together to promote a safe campus environment for all of our faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Sincerely,

Colonel Rodney Chatman

Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management