Individual brings weapons on campus in violation of state law
By: Erin Huggins
Posted: 2/4/09
Last Wednesday morning at 11:16 a.m., Campus Public Safety (CPS) and Monmouth Police identified, detained and arrested Western student Jeffrey Maxwell in the downstairs student area of Werner University Center (WUC) for violation of ORS 166.370, Possession of a Firearm in a Public Building. CPS had sent an e-mail on Tuesday, Jan. 27, alerting the campus community about an individual who had been seen loitering around the pool area and the residence halls. Wednesday morning, CPS received a call reporting a person matching the description given in the e-mail who was carrying a knife on campus. Because weapons were involved, Assitant Director of CPS and CPS Officer Mike Hanson called Monmouth Police Department (MPD) for back-up. Sergeant Kim Dorn, Officer Matthew Olafson and a recruit officer from MPD, along with Hutchinson and Hanson, were unable to locate the individual upon an initial search of the campus. However, shortly before 11 a.m., CPS received another call about the individual and the MPD officers returned to campus.
Maxwell, who was sitting at one of the study tables across from the Service and Career Learning Center, was approached from behind by Joe Hutchinson from Campus Public Safety and MPD officers. Hutchinson asked Maxwell if he had any weapons concealed on his person.
On first response, Maxwell answered he had a knife. Hutchinson then put Maxwell's hands above his head. The second time he was asked, Maxwell said he had a gun. After the weapons were removed, officers took him into the Calapooia Room. A few minutes later, he was escorted into one of two police cars parked on Church Street outside of WUC.
Responding to why they did not evacuate WUC, Hutchinson said CPS did not know what weapons were involved and did not want to alert the suspect by a sudden flood of students leaving the building.
"If we had known he had a gun, the scenario would have been totally different," Hutchinson said.
Maxwell was initially approached because of his resemblance to the individual in CPS's e-mail, although Hutchinson said CPS has not confirmed whether or not Maxwell is the same person described in the e-mail.
Hutchinson said there have been no sightings of the person since the arrest last Wednesday.
Dorn said although Maxwell did have a loaded firearm on his person, he did not use it in a threatening way and was cooperative with the police.
Maxwell had a valid permit for possessing concealed weapons; however, the permit does not allow people to bring weapons inside public schools, private schools or courthouses.
"Even if you have a concealed weapons permit, you can't have a weapon concealed on your person if you're going to be in any buildings on campus." Dorn said. "In this instance, he just didn't know."
Hutchinson said Western firearm and munition policies are administrative and correspond to Oregon University System policies, which are not necessarily the same as state regulations.
"We go one step further and say, look, no weapons are allowed on campus, period,"Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson said he asked Maxwell why he had a gun on campus, to which Maxwell replied, "I was just scared after Virginia tech. I was just really worried about my safety." Several students witnessed the arrest, including senior Alica Tresidder, who said she initially thought the event was a drill.
"I thought they were practicing," she said about officers involved. "They had it under control. I didn't feel threatened at all."
Sophomore Carrie Miller said she thought the suspect was being arrested for drug possession, "not such serious things as a loaded gun." "I had a test I was down here [WUC] studying for. How am I supposed to concentrate for the next hour?" she questioned shortly after the arrest took place. Senior Alecia St. Germaine said her first reaction to the situation was fear. "My stomach started turning and I wanted to leave," she said. In addition, knowing an armed person could just walk onto campus makes her feel a little uneasy. "I have night class," she said. "Usually, I'm fine walking to my car. Now I'm going to second guess that." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © Copyright 2009 Western Oregon Journal
But colleges are not included in that list, the "schools" are high school level and below. Look it up.
My stomach started turning and I wanted to leave," she said. In addition, knowing an armed person could just walk onto campus makes her feel a little uneasy. "I have night class," she said. "Usually, I'm fine walking to my car. Now I'm going to second guess that."
What a hoplophobic Maroon. She should be asking that armed Marine to walk her to her car, because as she said, "anyone can walk onto campus", armed or not. The ones with evil intent are the ones to worry about. No "policy" is going to stop them. You can't even expel them if they are not students, and I'll bet this case eventually says you can't expel them if they are students, as long as they are committing no crime, nor violating any rules the College/University has the authority to make.
Miss Huggins’ article demonstrates EXACTLY what is wrong on so many levels with modern US universities, and what passes for the education offered at them.
Her journalistic work is absolutely shoddy (did not know the fullness of the applicable Oregon Revised Statute and how it trumps school “policy”), shallow (it does not entirely match the story given by the Monmouth police officers), and incomplete - besides being alarmist in the nature of the slant as she closes with two quotes from nervous and fearful skulls-full-of-mush, and nothing to counterbalance those ludicrous impressions.
If a crazed student went wild with weapons such as happened at VA Tech, US Marine Maxwell would likely not think twice about acting with disregard for his own safety to save the lives of teachers, administrators, and fellow students.
This whole episode makes my stomach turn - just like “Senior Alicia St Germaine” but for entirely different reasons...
A.A.C.