Two Students Arrested After Search Reveals Drugs, 'Toy Guns'

Arts & Entertainment Editor

      Campus police conducted a search of Bankston Hall Sept. 17. According to the police log, campus police went to the all-male dorm for fire alarm issues, cleared the building and found illegal substances and two toy guns. This led to the arrest of two students.

Police charged Monveal Donzel Davis and Ellis Spencer Mead with felony possessions of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. 

   According to the police incident report, Chief John Kidwell discovered a bag of marijuana and bags for distribution in Davis’s room during the search. Davis turned himself in to Public Safety. Officer Rodney Pickens arrested Davis.

   Officer Debra Hancock discovered four small bags of marijuana and four hypodermic needles in Mead’s room during the search.  Pickens arrested Mead after he turned himself in to Public Safety. 

   Michael Reynolds II, Bankston Hall resident director, said two events led up to the Bankston Hall search.  Reynolds said he heard gunshots near Bankston Tuesday, Sept. 16. He said campus police could not conduct a search due to the power outage. 

   Around noon on Tuesday, Sept. 16, Reynolds said he heard three gunshots. He said two groups of guys traded words later that night. 

“The words pertained to weapons and one quote was ‘I’m gonna shoot someone up,’” Reynolds said. 

   According to the police log on Tuesday, Sept. 16, a public safety officer went to Bankston Hall to investigate suspicious noises and could not find the source of the noise. The same police log said the officer went to Bankston Hall later to take a report, and then went to the office to take statements and conduct interviews. 

   Reynolds said students went around Bankston Tuesday night knocking on doors with a pellet gun trying to scare people. Reynolds said only one call was made to public safety. 

  Reynolds said Mitch Meredith, director of Residence Life, contacted him about the matter the following morning. Reynolds said he and Officer Peebles tried to get details from students to see what really happened and no one confessed. 

“With this being the third warning, we were determined to do a Bankston bust down,” Reynolds said.

   Reynolds said Meredith contacted him Wednesday morning by phone and said Public Safety along, with probation officers, planned to conduct a search. The fire alarms were pulled to get all students out of Bankston Hall, according to Reynolds. He said two resident assistants and a graduate assistant patrolled the door.

   Reynolds said judicial warnings were issued to some students for alcohol and non-prescribed prescription medication not in its proper container.

   Sophomore Laura Ramos said, “I found out about the incident the day after and I was scared because I didn’t know what had really happened.”

   When asked about the Bankston Hall incident, Media Services Director Jim Brewer declined to comment. Meredith declined to comment on Friday and was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

Editors note: This story incorrectly said Michael Reynolds II heard gunshots at Bankston Hall Saturday, Sept. 13. Reynolds said he heard the gunshots Tuesday, Sept. 16. The story has been updated with the correct information. We apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.

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