Texas Man Arrested for Making ‘Gun Gestures’ in a Crowded Movie Theater
In an odd twist to the old "falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater" routine, a Texas man incited panic after he entered a movie theater in Bryan and began making "gun gestures" and "shooting noises" in the general vicinity of patrons.
"It was dark and nobody could really tell especially if you were in the back and you just see a guy going 'choo choo choo'," recalled Caroline Morales, who attended the "packed" 9 PM screening of World War Z. "The rumor quickly spread that it was a gun and everyone is rushing to the exit quickly. We couldn't have got out if we wanted to."
Darrell Reynolds, 54, was in the theater for about a minute before walking out toward the lobby where he was stopped by a police officer and arrested.
"It will not be tolerated in Bryan," Officer Kelley McKethan told KBTX. "It is an offensive gesture. It alarmed people and we took the appropriate actions."
Reynolds was booked on a Class C misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and could be fined up to $350.
He was previously arrested on at least two separate occasions for public intoxication, but police don't believe alcohol played a role in his most recent antics.
It is unclear if Reynolds was attempting to sneak into World War Z, but according to McKethan he had just finished seeing the new Sandra Bullock-Melissa McCarthy buddy cop flick The Heat in the same movie theater.
