Communications sophomore Thomas Dodd Newton was arrested at 9:31 a.m. on Monday after putting a knife to his throat during a class on the fourth floor of the Communications/Music Complex. He was booked with false imprisonment, police said.

According to a New Orleans Police Department press release, a search of Newton’s residence revealed a 12-gauge shotgun, a .223-caliber rifle and a .22-caliber rifle. He was taken to NOPD’s Central Lockup for booking.

Mary Jackson, communications senior, said the Production Theory and Practice class was taking a quiz on chapters three and four when Newton closed the door and put a 4- or 5-inch knife to his throat.

Jackson said that Newton asked for someone to take out a cell phone and call the FBI. Newton claimed that someone was after him and that he was in a jam he couldn’t get out of, Jackson said. Newton said that some people in the classroom might even be after him.

“There was stunned silence,” Jackson said. “I was afraid. I didn’t really know if he was going to harm us. I feared he might kill himself in front of us. There was a lot of praying.

“It’s a surreal experience. I hope he’s safe, but I’m concerned about other students doing it. I’m still a little shocked.”

Anna Mellis, communications sophomore, said that Newton did not threaten anyone at any time during the incident.

“He was apologizing for bringing us into it,” Mellis said. “He had a serious panic about him. It was quite a shock after Halloween. I wasn’t even going to come to class today because it’s the day after Halloween, but we had a quiz.”

After David Weber, instructor of communications, called University Police, Newton called his friend Maria and his stepfather to inform them that he had a knife at his throat.

Then, Newton received a phone call, which he told the class was Stacy Cox with the FBI. When Weber asked Newton for the knife, Newton said that he was not going to harm anyone but that he felt safer with the knife.

Jackson said that four people were able to get out of the back of the classroom. Then, Newton stood on a desk with the knife at his throat and said that no one else was leaving.

Kim Pierre, communications sophomore, said that she was the closest to Newton during the incident.

“A survivor’s first instinct is to get up and run,” Pierre said. “But what if he stabs me in the back? He was only two feet away. I didn’t know if he was joking. I was scared. He said people were following him.”

University Police told Newton that he was holding the class members against their will. Newton agreed to let the students leave the classroom if they went into the studio where they could watch his actions. Jackson said that she and other students left the area at that time.

According to Christopher Flynn, director of Counseling and Career Services, counselors came to talk to Newton after the students left the room.

Vice President of Student Affairs James Eiseman declined to comment on the situation. Weber and Duane Prefume, communications instructor, co-teach the class. They said that they were told not to comment.

Communications sophomore Paola Medina said that Newton was taking the class for a second time, after failing the first time. Jackson and Pierre said that he often challenged the professors.

“I never thought he would do something like that,” Medina said. “I thought to myself, ‘Is this happening?’ At first I thought he was joking. I was freaked out.”

Bob Thomas, director of the center for environmental communications, said that he talked to Newton regularly before the incident and never suspected the student was troubled.