GREENSBORO — A man described in court documents as being in “a very dangerous mental state” was recently arrested on the N.C. A&T campus after asking for help from campus security, who saw multiple weapons in his car.
Brandon James Bentley, 27, “ran right up to officers asking for help” early in the morning of March 26 because he was “terrified” of being kidnapped by a religious cult he found through social media, according to court records. He explained he had the weapons because he was in fear for his life.
Bentley, who was released on a $100,000 secured bond, is homeless and was living in his car while in the middle of a divorce, court records show. Authorities seized a lengthy list of weapons from his car.
N.C. A&T issued an email advisory Monday to students and employees about Bentley’s arrest, which happened about eight days earlier. The university said the incident happened at approximately 4 a.m. March 26 when Bentley was observed driving unsafely in the area of Sullivan Street and Benbow Road.
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Among the weapons seized were two handguns, two shotguns, a rifle and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, according to the Greensboro Police Department.
In addition to the guns and ammunition in Bentley’s 2004 Ford Mustang, officers also seized a crossbow, machete, stun gun, hatchet, knives, choking devices, pepper spray, blowdart gun, brass knuckles, sword, and other assorted weaponry. The inventory of items also included one chicken foot, “holy water,” a radio receiver, a lighter, a window breaker and more.
Charges against him include: gun on educational property, explosive device on educational property, weapon on educational property, carrying a concealed gun, driving with revoked license and reckless driving, according to court records.
“Because of the quick and decisive action of law enforcement, a campus alert was not issued, as the suspect no longer constituted an ongoing threat to campus safety,” the university said in its message.
An ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI, State Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Greensboro Police Department, the university’s message said. Bentley, who has no affiliation with A&T, has been banned from campus.
N.C. A&T said it remains committed to the “safety and security of our campus and will continue to use the emergency alert system in instances where threats are ongoing.”
The Greensboro Police Department’s Hazardous Devices Team responded to a potential threat of an explosive device, which turned out to be fireworks.
Bentley appeared in court on March 27 and his next court date is April 25.