Former football player Chris Bell was arrested last night after Penn State Police said he threatened another student with an 8-inch blade during a dispute that yielded no injuries in Pollock Dining Commons.
The former Nittany Lion wide receiver is facing charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and harassment.
He is currently being held in the Centre County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 straight bail.
University Police Lt. Jason Zajac said Bell was gone by the time police arrived at P ollock Commons but he came to the police voluntarily to "give his side of the story." The incident occurred between 6:30 and 7 p.m. yesterday, police said.
Zajac said police were conducting interviews with witnesses last night. Because of confidentiality rules, Zajac was unable to provide the name of the victim.
According to a February athletic department press release, Bell and another player were suspended from the football team until "their academic situation improves and any off-the-field issues are behind them."
Bell has been implicated in court documents as having a role in an on-campus fight in the HUB-Robeson Center in October that police said involved several football players.
Penn State Football Communications and Branding Director Guido D'Elia and Sports Information Director Jeff Nelson did not return phone calls as of press time last night.
Jim Hopey, the manager of Pollock Commons, said he had no comment on the incident.
Zach Slaybaugh (senior-psychology) said he was working at the Pollock Commons desk when a person he referred to as a Penn State football player ran down from the team's dining room to the desk and said, "We got a guy with a knife who won't calm down."
Slaybaugh, who said he called the police, added he heard witnesses say the knife was about 6 to 8 inches long.
Matt Noa (freshman-electrical engineering) said he was working in the serving line of Pollock Commons when he saw five police officers walk across the main dining room and go "right to the football dining room."
He said the incident piqued the curiosity of those eating dinner.
"People, when they came through the serving room, kept asking why cops were coming through," Noa also said.
Collegian staff writer Margaret Miceli contributed to this report.
