On April 26 a student’s refusal to put out his cigarette led to something far more serious. The suspect was smoking in a non-smoking section on campus near the San Fernando complex area when he was approached by an officer and asked to put it out.

Officer Narbeh Nazari had recognized the suspect from a previous verbal smoking warning. He remembered that the suspect was informed of the campus smoking policy. When the suspect was asked for identification he refused to provide any.

He began to walk away from the officer and was informed that he was going to be issued a written warning. The suspect continued to walk away and the officer grabbed him by his shirt sleeve. The suspect then resisted the officer and was told he was being detained and he was put into handcuffs.

As a crowd began to gather around, Officer Rony Aharonian assisted Officer Nazari in detaining the suspect. He was then placed under arrest by GCC police for obstructing an officer in discharge of his duties and disturbance of the peace for loud and unreasonable noise.

The officers searched the suspects backpack and found a knife with a 3-inch fixed-blade. They also found two bottles containing marijuana labeled, “Korea Town Collective Blue Dream Haze” and “Blue Diesel” along with a smoking pipe filled with residue. Also discovered during the search was a fifth of Schooner Bay Rum.

After the search he was also charged with having a knife on college grounds. This is a violation of Penal Code section 626-626.10 which states that fixed blade knifes longer than 2.5 inches are not permitted onto school grounds. The case was forwarded to the district attorney and dean of student activities.

The suspect was taken to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility on Bauchet Street.

Know the law! California Penal Code 626.10. states

(a) (1) Any person, except a duly appointed peace officer who brings or possesses any dirk, dagger, ice pick, knife having a blade longer than 2 1/2 inches, folding knife with a blade that locks into place, razor with an unguarded blade, taser, or stun gun, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 244.5, any instrument that expels a metallic projectile such as a BB or a pellet, through the force of air pressure, CO2 pressure, or spring action, or any spot marker gun, upon the grounds of, or within, any public or private school providing instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, is guilty of a public offense, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison.

(b) Any person, except a duly appointed peace officer, who brings or possesses any dirk, dagger, ice pick, or knife having a fixed blade longer than 2 1/2 inches upon the grounds of, or within, any private university, the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community
Colleges is guilty of a public offense, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison.

(a), and any certificated or classified employee or school peace officer of any private university, state university, or community college may seize any of the weapons described in subdivision (b), from the possession of any person upon the grounds of, or within, the school if he or she knows, or has reasonable cause to know, the person is prohibited from bringing or possessing the weapon upon the grounds of, or within, the school.

(h) As used in this section, “dirk” or “dagger” means a knife or other instrument with or without a handguard that is capable of ready use as a stabbing weapon that may inflict great bodily injury or death.

(i) Any person who, without the written permission of the college or university president or chancellor or his or her designee, brings or possesses a less lethal weapon, as defined in Section 16780, or a stun gun, as defined in Section 17230, upon the grounds of or within, a public or private college or university campus is guilty of a misdemeanor.