Damon Nabrit '03 — whose treatment by Public Safety and Borough Police prompted protest by University minority students and others Sunday morning in front of Witherspoon Hall — was arrested Saturday afternoon for possession of drug paraphernalia following a search of his room by police, Borough Police Lt. Charles Davall said yesterday.
According to Davall, police and Public Safety officers entered the student's dorm room March 4 following reports that a man had been seen carrying a hand gun in the Chancellor Green Rotunda.
Davall said a small plastic bag that contained traces of marijuana and a toy pistol that matched the description of the gun seen at the student center were located in plain view on the student's desk.
According to Davall, after signing a police consent form, Nabrit allowed police to perform what Davall described as a "thorough" search of his room. He said that during the search officers allegedly found two pipes of the type commonly used for smoking marijuana.
Davall said Borough Police brought Nabrit to police headquarters and charged him with possession of drug paraphernalia, which is a disorderly persons offense. The student was released on his own recognizance. He declined yesterday to comment on the incident.
Ashley Adams '02, who organized Sunday's gathering supporting Nabrit, said she had been aware he was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia when she planned the event. "The key issue is not this particular incident. It is an institutional problem of bias that goes beyond this particular incident," she said.
Investigation
Davall said Borough Police received a 911 call Friday afternoon from a member of the Princeton community who said he saw an African-American male in Chancellor Green displaying to two other African-American males what appeared to be a hand gun.
After receiving the call, police contacted Public Safety, but officers arrived at Chancellor Green after the suspect had left, Davall said.
Public Safety Crime Prevention Specialist Barry Weiser said the investigation, which continued through Saturday afternoon, led Public Safety and Borough Police to conduct their search of Nabrit's room. Before going to his room, Public Safety called Nabrit and left a message on his voice-mail asking him to call Stanhope Hall, Weiser said.
According to Weiser, Public Safety and Borough Police entered the room after Nabrit did not answer the door. "Public Safety and Borough Police knocked on the door several times, but there was no response," he said.
Weiser said officers found Nabrit and another person in the room.
Davall added that the officers "smelled the odor of burnt marijuana" as they found the toy gun and the bag that contained marijuana residue.
According to Davall, it is illegal for a person to have an imitation firearm in his possession on a college campus. He said Borough Police may still charge Nabrit for possessing the toy gun. "He was displaying it like it was real," Davall said.
Weiser added that Nabrit, in discussions with Public Safety officers, "admitted to having a gun in his waist band at the student center the day before."
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