Westlake Movie Theater Suspect Charged
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A North Ridgeville man is charged with 21 weapons-related counts after he was arrested for bringing a loaded gun and ammunition into the showing of the new Batman movie at Crocker Park in Westlake.
Late Wednesday, 37-year-old Scott A. Smith was formally charged after an incident that took place on Saturday night.
Smith’s attorney, Matthew Bruce, said his client did not intend to do any harm and was armed with a gun in case of a copycat shooting.
“At this point I can tell you Mr. Smith went to the movie theater to simply watch a movie. He felt a sense of fear in light of the recent shootings in Aurora, Colorado,” said Bruce.”He is not a vigilante. He is not a paranoid psycho. He was not there to harm anybody or threaten anybody. At this point, he is absolutely innocent until otherwise proven guilty.”
Police said Smith showed up for the movie an hour early and sat in the back row of the theater by himself.
According to his attorney, Smith works out of his home as an analyst for a sleep research company that is located out-of-state. He said Smith’s wife is upset because she feels the whole situation was blown out of proportion.
Fox 8 News Reporter Elisa Amigo stopped by Smith’s family home seeking comment but no one answered the door.
Westlake Police said when he was arrested, Smith told investigators he had a military background. According to police, Smith served in the Army for one month in 1995 but was let go because of a pre-existing medical condition.
Smith’s initial charges may be modified once they are reviewed by a grand jury.
A court date has been set for Aug. 10 at 1:45 p.m.
