At about 4 a.m. Sunday, a male Penn State student threatened another male student while wielding a machete in Nittany Hall, Penn State Police said.
Lance Phillip, 20, of Elmont, N.Y., has been charged with making terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, according to court documents.
Police said two students were returning to Nittany Hall at about 4 a.m. and encountered Phillip. The two students asked Phillip to hold the door in a way that offended Phillip, police said.
The men then entered into a verbal argument and Phillip told one of the students that he would cut his neck for disrespecting him, police said.
Phillip went back to his room and came back wielding a machete, police said. Phillip approached one of the students with the machete asking, “What are you going to do now?” police said.
The other student, who was not directly threatened, and another resident calmed Phillip down and he returned to his residence, police said.
When police arrived, Phillip admitted to the altercation and possession of the machete, which is a violation of housing regulations at Penn State, police said. Police took possession of the weapon at that time.
Phillip later admitted he brought out the weapon because he felt “disrespected” and was trying to “punk” the student he threatened, police said.
The males involved in the altercation did not previously know each other, police said.
Phillip is scheduled to appear at his preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 23 at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte.
