Burfield has told police she slashed Gava after an interaction where she said he placed his hand on her bottom while they hugged in his office.

Burfield told investigators she didn’t feel right about the interaction, and that she tried to leave the office but couldn’t because he grabbed her, so she slashed him with a box cutter.

Steven Sclafani, a state police special agent, said in court that Burfield explained she had the box cutter because she uses it to open boxes at a store where she works.

He also said she told police she had closed the office door before going up to hug the professor. Sclafani said that Burfield, who was applying for a job as a Richmond police officer, told investigators she went to Gava’s office to discuss the job prospect with him.

But Gava, who was present for Friday’s hearing, denies ever touching Burfield’s bottom, and he denies that he had any inappropriate contact with the defendant, said Kregar, the assistant commonwealth’s attorney.

Kregar said Burfield showed up at Gava’s office unannounced, uninvited and “armed with a box cutter.”