University of Rhode Island Police Forced to Respond to Threat Unarmed

University of Rhode Island Police responded to reports of a gunman on the Kingston campus on April 4. Because of a state anti-gun statute, the officers were prohibited from carrying firearms with them when responding to the call.

Upon arriving, university police blocked off Chaffee Hall using only batons and pepper spray. State police–who were armed–then arrived and began a room-by-room search of the building. 

After two and a half hours of lock down, no gunman was found, and students were allowed to begin moving in and out of Chaffee Hall once more.  

The University of Rhode Island tries to exemplify “non violence” by barring weapons on campus–including weapons that would otherwise be carried by campus police officers. 

Rhode Island “is currently the only state in the country that does not allow campus police on public institutions of higher education to carry firearms.”