LAWYER: OHIO GUNMAN BROUGHT GUNS INTO THEATER FOR PROTECTION

Moviegoers and theater owners alike were on tenterhooks again on Tuesday following a report that a man had carried a satchel of weapons into a suburban Cleveland movie theater where The Dark Knight Rises was playing on Saturday. A police officer said that when the man, identified as Scott Smith, was asked why he brought the weapons into the theater, he replied, “No problem. I’ll put them in my car.” Smith, who was promptly arrested for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, has since refused to discuss the matter with police. But his attorney said today (Wednesday) that Smith had brought the weapons to the theater for his own protection. CBS News quoted attorney Matthew Bruce as saying, “With the recent shooting in Colorado, and the other incidents around the country in regards to threats, he felt that he needed protection.” But Westlake Police Lt. Ray Arcuri told the network that Smith did not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Our job is to protect the community,” he said. “It’s not his role. If there’s a gun [in a theater], it’s because our officers brought it. It’s not his job to bring the gun, it’s ours.”