Man brings bag full of knives, guns and ammo to ‘Dark Knight’ screening
August 7, 2012
A man in Ohio was arrested Saturday night after entering a showing of The Dark Knight Rises with a loaded gun, among other weapons.
According to police in North Ridgeville, Scott Smith, 37, had in his possession a satchel containing a Glock 9mm handgun, ammunition clips, and three knives. He had an additional knife strapped to his body.
Jeremiah Bullins, an off-duty police officer moonlighting as theater security, became suspicious after seeing Smith enter the Regal Cinema theater 30 minutes before the movie was scheduled to screen. He followed Smith into the theater and asked to search his bag.
“When Bullins asked why he carried the weapons into the theater, the man said, ‘No problem. I’ll put them in my car.’ But it was too late for that,” Lt. Ray Arcuri told the Plain Dealer.
Smith, a married father of one, was booked into the Westlake jail. Arcuri said he is not legally permitted to carry a concealed weapon.
And in this report from NewsNet5, Smith didn’t just “OOPS” forgot he had that bag:
Police said Smith was the first person in the theater at the time of his arrest but up to 80 people would have been there 20 minutes later. He was sitting in the last row in a middle seat. This was a “tactical position,” according to officers, his back to the wall and facing out.
“If he chose to do something there, all his potential victims were in front of him and he would have an advantage over them,” Westlake Police Detective Lt. Ray Arcuri said.
They said Smith made no threats and was taken into custody without incident. Authorities also said Smith told them he had the weapons in self defense, but police aren’t buying it.
When they searched his home, they found seven rifles, five or six handguns, lots of ammo, gas masks and bulletproof vests.
