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Weapons-packing movie-goer on house arrest

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- An Ohio man was under house arrest after allegedly bringing several weapons to a showing of the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," officials said.

Scott Smith, 37, of North Ridgeville, will wear an electronic monitoring device on his ankle and will be subject to random phone calls to his home to ensure he is complying with the house arrest, The Morning Journal in Lorain, Ohio, reported Tuesday.

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Smith pleaded innocent last week to two counts of carrying concealed weapons and one count of having weapons under disability, court records indicated. He was arrested for allegedly bringing a gun, ammunition and four knives to the movie.

Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Mark Mahoney asked for a psychiatric evaluation for Smith during last week's hearing.

"I felt the safety of the community warranted a psychiatric evaluation," Mahoney said.

A theater security officer searched a bag Smith was carrying into the theater Aug. 4 found the weapons inside, The Morning Journal reported. In a search of Smith's home, police found seven handguns, 12 long guns, four or five bullet-proof vests, ammunition and gas masks.

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Smith's attorney said his client brought the weapons to the movie because he felt "he needed protection" after the July 20 fatal shooting at an Aurora, Colo., movieplex during a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in which 12 people were killed and 58 were wounded.

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