Rally backs accused black student

Faculty and students at the University of Massachusetts rallied Wednesday in support of a black biology student who faces attempted murder charges after a white man allegedly taunted him with racial epithets, broke his nose and smashed his dormitory window.

About 200 people gathered on the steps of the student union in support of Jason Vassell, who authorities said stabbed two nonstudents after he was provoked into an argument at his dormitory early on the morning of Feb. 3.

The two men, John Bowes, 20, and Jonathan Bosse, 19, survived and were not immediately charged in the fight -- something supporters of Vassell, 23, note when they complain that prosecutors were influenced by race in bringing the charges.

Vassell, who does not have a criminal or violent history, according to friends and faculty, was charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Five days later, Bowes was summoned to court to face civil rights violations, as well as disorderly conduct and assault and battery charges. Bosse has not been charged.

“The behavior of the prosecutors would have been different if these two guys had been African American,” said Michael Thelwell, an Afro-American studies professor at the flagship state university campus.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Frank Flannery said the charges were brought “based on the evidence we have” and said he could not comment further on the pending case.

Bowes’ attorney, Alfred Chamberland, did not immediately return a call Wednesday. A message left at Bowes’ home in Hancock was not immediately returned. A man who identified himself as Jonathan Bosse’s father said his son would not comment.

Supporters of Vassell have created a committee and a website to raise money for his defense. They plan more rallies to keep up pressure on authorities to review the charges against Vassell, who has withdrawn from school and is living at his mother’s home in Boston with electronic monitoring and a 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.

“Jason does not represent a danger or a threat to anyone,” said his lawyer, David Hoose.

Hoose said that since the fight, more information has come to light. He would not elaborate. “Police made an initial decision on what they saw that morning, but now after talking to witnesses and seeing surveillance video, a fuller picture has emerged of what happened,” he said.

Vassell was reacting in self-defense after Bowes and Bosse smashed his dorm-room window and called him racist names, said Tracy Kelley, who is Vassell’s girlfriend. She said she did not witness the attack.

Vassell told supporters the altercation began when he noticed the two men outside his ground-floor window, Thelwell said, adding that witnesses have corroborated Vassell’s account. The men began to taunt Vassell and broke the window. Vassell, feeling threatened, called a friend from a neighboring dorm for help. When he opened the lobby door, Bowes and Bosse entered, and a fight broke out.

Vassell suffered a broken nose and was treated at a hospital and released.

University police would not comment on why Bowes and Bosse were on campus.