Knife wielding roommate has break down

A University of Arizona Police Department officer went to the Arizona-Sonora Residence Hall after the resident assistant on duty told UAPD a resident had a butterfly knife in their room.

The two roommates reported that they had seen their other roommate pull a stainless steel butterfly knife out of her purse and use it to cut open a box. They were uneasy about the knife but didn’t report it until the relationship with the roommate became “”tense.””

They had told Residence Life that they did not wish to be roommates with the woman and they desired to have a different roommate or be moved from the room.

The officer talked with the woman in a separate room and asked to see the knife. She surrendered her backpack with the knife inside.

She said she had used it to open a box but hadn’t used it since. She told the officer that in 2009 a man assaulted her on a bus in Flagstaff, Ariz. After the assault, she had become nervous and since carried either a knife or Mace to protect herself.

The officer told her that the UA has a zero-tolerance policy for weapons on campus. She gave the knife to the officer to be placed in UAPD for safekeeping. She said she was sorry for bringing the weapon on campus.

The woman agreed that her relationship with her roommates is “”tense”” and that she didn’t have anyone to talk to. The officer gave her information for Campus Health Services since she described herself as “”nervous.”” The woman was calm when the officer left the room.

The officer spoke with the community director on call. He notified the community director of the incident and told him that UAPD would be taking the butterfly knife for safekeeping.

The officer returned to the dorm 20 minutes later, after being notified by dispatch that the same woman was acting sporadic and shaking in her room. The officer opened the door to find her sitting on the floor crying and shaking. The woman stated that his arrival affirmed that her parents were right and that she was a “”fuck up.””

The woman stated she did not want to be in the room by herself. The officer asked her if she was a threat to herself or anyone else. The woman replied “”no.””

As a result of her current mental state, the officer called the Southern Arizona Mental Health Center. He spoke to a woman, who then talked on the phone with the student for about 45 minutes.

After her phone call with a woman, the student told the officer she would speak to a SAMHC representative face-to-face in approximately 15 to 30 minutes. She was then much calmer. The woman declined the officer’s offer to wait with her until the SAMHC representative arrived.

The officer spoke to the RA and updated him on the incident. The RA said he would stay with the woman until the SAMHC representative arrived.