MIDDLEBURY — A Middlebury College student who told campus and town police he’d been assaulted on campus Saturday night now faces multiple charges himself, including providing false information to a police officer, simple assault, aggravated disorderly conduct and hate motivated crime.

On April 23 at around 11:40 p.m., Middlebury police and Middlebury Regional EMS responded to a report that a student had been assaulted in the Hillcrest Road area of campus, according to an April 27 media release from Middlebury Police Chief Tom Hanley.

The alleged victim, Matthew R. Shanklin, 22, told officers he had been “jumped” by a group of six to 10 Black students as he was walking through campus and that he had suffered injuries to his leg as a result of the assault, Hanley said.

Shanklin was eventually transported to Porter Medical Center and treated for minor injuries, according to MPD Sgt. Vegar Boe.

Upon further investigation, including interviews with involved parties, police determined that Shanklin had allegedly been the aggressor, making racially charged statements to the other students and then assaulting them, Hanley said.

As a result, Shanklin was issued a citation to appear in Addison County Superior Court, Criminal Division, on June 20 to answer to the charges.

This is a developing story and was first posted on the Addison Independent on April 27.