Student arrested for weapons on campus (2 articles with very differnt reports)

[diputs]

http://www.centredaily.com/116/story/82819.html

Student jailed over weapons
Police: Man fought officers investigating reported firearm at Movin' On campus concert
By Dena Pauling - dpauling@centredaily.com

A Penn State student remained in jail Sunday night after arriving at an on-campus concert with three weapons, including a gun, and fighting with police as they tried to investigate.

Just before midnight Saturday, university police said they were advised a man in the crowd at the Movin' On concert on the HUB lawn was carrying a firearm.

As officers approached the man -- later identified by police as Isaiah R. Houston, age unavailable, of 137 Creekside Drive, College Township -- a struggle immediately ensued, said university police Lt. Bill Moerschbacher.

Houston, who police said was drunk at the time, was carrying an expandable baton and a knife, Moerschbacher said. But the weapons were brandished, he said.

"As it turns out, the firearm was lawfully owned," he said. "He had a carry permit."Moerschbacher did not know what type of firearm it was, noting that a full report of the incident had not yet been complete. He said he thought two officers were involved in the struggle and both were uninjured.

Houston was arraigned before District Judge Thomas Jordan and charged with public drunkenness, resisting arrest and prohibited offensive weapons, according to university police.

Staff at the Centre County Correctional Facility confirmed that Houston was still in prison Sunday night on $10,000 straight bail.

Dena Pauling can be reached at 231-4619.



http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...07dnews-05.asp

Student arrested at concert
Police said they apprehended a drunk man carrying an illegal handgun on Saturday at Movin' On.


By Ryan Pfister
Collegian Staff Writer
Penn State police said they arrested a drunk student armed with an illegal handgun, a knife and a baton in the audience at Phantom Planet's Movin' On performance on the HUB lawn Saturday night.

Isaiah R. Houston, 137 Creekside Drive, was charged with public drunkenness, resisting arrest and possessing prohibited offensive weapons.

He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Thomas N. Jordan and placed in Centre County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 straight bail. He was still in prison as of 4:30 p.m. yesterday.

Police approached Houston after "a report from citizens that they saw him wearing a firearm," Lt. Bill Moerschbacher said.

A struggle ensued "very quickly upon walking up to him," Moerschbacher said. He said two officers wrestled Houston to the ground and handcuffed him.

Police said they discovered a knife and baton on Houston after he was arrested. They also determined that the handgun was illegally possessed, Moerschbacher said.

Moerschbacher said Houston did not take out the firearm before or during the struggle.

"He didn't threaten anyone with the firearm or anything," he said. "The struggle is really what precipitated that arrest and discovering the other items."

Jameela Truman, director of Movin' On, said she witnessed the arrest.

She said she felt threatened by the event, but the police "fully handled the situation."

Possessing a firearm is illegal on campus, Moerschbacher said. However, he said if the handgun is legally registered, police will ask the owner to leave or surrender the gun to the police. If the handgun is illegal, police will arrest the possessor, he said.

"It's not normal that we get into a tussle with someone over one, but it does happen," he said.

Moerschbacher said the concert was relatively calm other than Houston's arrest.

"I don't think there was anything out of the ordinary or even bad," he said. "[Movin' On] has changed over the years, and it hasn't been as bad."




Someones not telling the truth!!!!

[Cole]

The guy is carrying drunk at a concert? Seems like a near certainty that he can kiss that carry permit good-bye.

[Skuggi]

I hope it wasnt anyone from our forums here.

[Kenshin]

Wasn't me! I'm still here and typing. But the fact that he was drunk and carrying worries me quite a bit...

As for the articles makes my eyes bleed to read that kind of stuff that that blatently contradicts itself...


/emote thinks he should stop by Eisenhower and explain to them that it is not illegal to carry firearms on the campus just against school policy...

[Agent Ronin]

Was not me... I'm not much of a drinker Its too expensive to get drunk on the stuff i like hehe

[TravisBickle]

He most likely wasn't drunk. That's probably an embellishment made to spice up the story.

[budney]

The first story (if you read it carefully) doesn't actually say that he brandished a firearm. It appears to say that he brandished a knife and a baton, but not a gun. The police discovered the firearm later when they searched him.

The article was written sloppily enough that a ready would probably believe that he had brandished a firearm, though.

--Len.

[D-FENS]

um, still not sure what was wrong? The papers don't ellaborate on what, exactly, he had done.

One paper says it was legal and he had a permit.

The other paper says it was illegal.

He was charged with a prohibited weapons offense. This is what I want to know about.

You guys may not like that he was drunk and carrying but he's allowed to do that, as are all of you. Would you prefer cops run around and breathalyze everyone with a gun? He didn't show the weapon, he was just seen with the weapon.

The only thing I can imagine is that when asked to leave, he refused and the scuffle ensued. After living in State College and the area most of my life (all but the last 3 years) I can say that Penn State cops aren't ones to ask people to leave. They don't get much real police action but act like SWAT guys any chance they get. I would be extremely surprised if the guy started the scuffle for no reason or without cause.

[Skuggi]

cant find the whole stature, but I believe there is a law on carrying while consuming alcoholic beverages

[ChamberedRound]

Originally Posted by TheHighChild

He was charged with a prohibited weapons offense. This is what I want to know about.

Agreed, as I was under the impression that, as long as one holds an LTC, the most that you can be charged with for carry a weapon is trespass, and that's only if you've been asked to leave and fail to comply. Legally, it doesn't matter that he was drunk and it doesn't matter if he brandished the weapon, neither of these are illegal.

Given the articles cited, it doesn't seem possible to determine whether or not the person held a valid LTC. But if he did, the "prohibited weapons offense" is bogus.

Guess we'll have to wait and see if more information comes to light.

Originally Posted by Skuggi

cant find the whole stature, but I believe there is a law on carrying while consuming alcoholic beverages

If you can cite a source for this, it would be greatly appreciated. Last time I checked there was no law against it. It's a bad idea, but not an illegal one AFAIK.