See updated coverage: Suspect pleads not guilty

UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza says a student’s relative did exactly the right thing in alerting authorities on Friday (Jan. 21) that the student was distraught and suicidal, “averting what could possibly have been a very tragic situation.”

“We want to reiterate to our community that if something doesn’t look or sound right, call us,” Spicuzza said today (Jan. 24).

The chief added: “If you’re not in the campus’s WarnMe system, get in it. If your information isn’t up to date, update it.” See below.

The student remained in a Yolo County jail this morning after his arrest Friday on felony weapons charges and an allegation that he made terrorist threats. City of Davis police used a Taser in taking him into custody at about 6 p.m. at Fourth and A streets in the vicinity of Toomey Field at the east edge of campus.

The Davis Police Department identified the suspect as Nicholas Benson, 25. UC Davis officials said he is a senior communication major, and that he is enrolled for the winter quarter. The officials added that Benson first enrolled at UC Davis in the fall of 2005.

Just before 11 a.m. today, a county jail employee said Benson was still being held in lieu of $1 million bail, and that he was scheduled to appear Wednesday in Yolo County Superior Court in Woodland.

City police said they launched an intensive search for Benson after receiving a call from one of Benson’s family members. The caller reported that Benson was distraught and suicidal, city police said in a news release.

No specific targets

“Police received information that Benson was possibly armed with a rifle and had threatened to kill others,” city police said in a news release. “Based on information police received at that time, Benson had not targeted anyone specific.”

The city Police Department, in its news release, said officers made attempts to negotiate with Benson on his cell phone — to no avail.

Officers located him standing by his pickup and ordered him to surrender. But he resisted, the news release stated, and headed straight for his vehicle.

“Just as Benson entered the cab of his pickup truck, officers used a Taser and other nonlethal measures to subdue him and take him into custody,” the news release stated.

Police said a search of the pickup yielded a loaded rifle with a telescopic sight, and a loaded shotgun. Officers said they also found hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition in Benson’s possession.

City police said they booked Benson on felony charges of making terrorist threats, carrying a loaded weapon in a public place, possession of an illegal assault weapon (the rifle), and obstructing and resisting a public officer.

As of Monday morning, the Yolo County district attorney’s office had not yet prepared a complaint — which, based on the police report, could include some or all of the charges as alleged at the time of Benson’s booking, or other alleged crimes.

See updated coverage: Suspect pleads not guilty to a three-count complaint alleging possession of an assault weapon, resisting arrest and carrying a loaded weapon in public.

Campus resources

UC Davis offers a broad range of services to help members of the campus community who are in crisis, along with a comprehensive emergency preparedness and warning system:

• The Student Crisis Response Team coordinates campus resources to protect campus safety and find help for students who could potentially harm themselves or others.

Read a Q&A with Donald Dudley, then-associate director of Student Judicial Affairs and now the interim director, who helps lead the Student Crisis Response Team, from the January 2010 edition of Aggie Family Pack, a newsletter for the parents of UC Davis students.

Listen to Dudley on Capital Public Radio's Insight program on Jan. 13, 2011 (13 minutes, 54 seconds).

• Counseling and Psychological Services

• CAPS emergency resources for individuals expressing clear and imminent danger to self, or ambiguous danger

• Academic and Staff Assistance Program

• WarnMe: UC Davis’ emergency alert system (sign up or update your contact information)

• Workplace violence

• Active shooter training