A 48-year-old man who was arrested Sunday night at a Thornton movie theater where he wore a holstered weapon said he was simply exercising his right to bear arms.
James G. Mapes was arrested at about 10:15 p.m. Sunday at the Cinebarre Movie Theater, 1001 N. Grant St., after he openly carried a handgun into the theater, Thornton police said in a media release.
"The subject's possession of the firearm caused alarm to the theater staff and fellow movie patrons," police said in the release.
In the wake of the July 20 theater shooting in Aurora that left 12 people dead and 58 wounded, someone called Thornton police on Sunday night to alert them about Mapes and his side arm.
Officers responded, "evacuating several theaters as a precautionary measure," police said.
"The subject's possession of the firearm caused alarm to the theater staff and fellow movie patrons," police said.
He was booked on suspicion of "possession of a dangerous weapon," in violation of municipal ordinance 38-237, police said.
Mapes was issued a summons and released.
Investigators confiscated the gun as evidence in the case.
"This case is under review by our city prosecutor," said Matt Barnes, a Thornton Police Department spokesman, on Monday.
"We are an open carry state," Barnes said. "We look at the open carry law and how it relates to this incident. He felt he was exercising his right to bear arms in an open carry state, and we are currently reviewing that with our prosecutors."
