Middletown police have arrested a man accused of pulling a knife on patrons at Metro Movie Theater late Tuesday night during a screening of “Grown Ups 2.”
Two people told police that they were in the theater, watching the movie, just before 11 p.m. when Jayquan Tyshawn Howard, 19, of Portland, pulled a knife on them and threatened them, according to the arraignment report.
The victims told police that Howard and another man had been sitting right behind them, yelling and kicking their seats.
About five minutes later, the victims turned around, complained and told Howard and the person with him to “shut up,” according to police.
Howard responded with some racially charged language and said, “We can handle this right now,” according to police.
He stood up, adding, “Should we handle this right now?”
Howard then pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open, according to the arraignment report.
Howard said on Wednesday that he and his three friends might have been loud while watching the latest Adam Sandler movie, but that the situation should never have gone this far.
After the exchange inside the theater, the victims walked out and Howard and the other man followed them to the lobby, where Howard walked up to them with the knife, police said.
“Oh, you guys are snitching on us now?” he asked, according to the arraignment report.
As all four were in the lobby, the man with Howard chimed in and said they could fight with their hands if the victims were afraid of weapons, according to what one of the witnesses told police.
Howard then put the knife in his pocket and walked back into the theater, according to police.
After receiving the complaint, police surrounded the exits and told management at the theater to stop the movie and turn on the lights.
A few minutes later, the people who complained to police pointed out Howard and the man with him and officers “guided them to the ground,” according to the arraignment report.
Howard said the police "slammed" him.
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“We come out the movie theater, the cops just slam me, they put the gun to my head. I wasn’t able to see anything. I just got slammed,” Howard said. “They didn’t ask me nothing. They just said where’s the knife. Bang. Didn’t find a knife.”
Lt. Heather Desmond, of Middletown Police, said police did find a knife at the scene, but did not say where they found it.
Howard was taken into custody and charged with threatening, reckless endangerment, carrying a dangerous weapon and breach of peace. He was released on bond and due in court in two weeks.
Howard said he’s not a violent person. There was no fight and he wouldn’t pull a knife out in front of a crowd of people, he said. According to Howard, it was simply a heated exchange of words.
“This isn’t justice. I have the right to speak my mind. You didn’t even read me my rights. What am I being arrested for?” Howard said.
His friend was also taken into custody and charged with breach of peace.
