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Man charged for bringing machete into Newport News library

Posted at 3:16 PM, Apr 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-04 23:22:19-04

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A man has been charged for bringing a machete into a library.

On April 3 just after 4 p.m., officers were sent to the Pearl Bailey Library for a report of a person with a weapon.

When they arrived, they approached the suspect. When the suspect tried to stand up from his chair, the handle of a weapon got stuck on the chair.

Officers detained the man and found a machete inside of his pants.

Rashawn Lamar Robinson, 29, was charged with possession of a concealed weapon, second offense.

Police say on February 17, 2017, they responded to the Pearl Bailey library where Robinson had a concealed large survival knife on him.  An officer observed the jacket of a black male opened up and saw a large survival knife sticking out the side of the male’s pants. Robinson was issued a criminal summons for carrying a concealed weapon.

Robinson spoke about the incidents to News 3 Tuesday.

"When I had my sword on my side I wasn`t bothering nobody, I didn`t have no intentions of hurting nobody or none of that," said Robinson, who says he carries a knife to protect himself because he's homeless. "I have a job, I have money on me. I`ll be damned if I`m gonna let someone run up on me and I`m not gonna protect myself."

He claims the machete wasn't concealed because a large portion of it was exposed.

“Because the way the sheath is made it’s not made to hang on the outside so I keep it tucked in there but I have it enough so you know what it is I’m carrying on my side," he said.

A spokesperson for Newport News Public Libraries didn't want to comment on the case, but says no weapons are allowed on library property unless authorized by state law.

On June 1 Robinson's charges were nolle prossed.