WESTLAKE, Ohio -- A 37-year-old North Ridgeville man is being held without bail in the Westlake jail after police said an off-duty officer found a loaded gun, extra ammunition clips and four knives in a satchel they said he carried into a Saturday night showing of "The Dark Knight Rises."

Lt. Ray Arcuri said police have no idea why Scott A. Smith would have carried the weapons into the theater, but are taking no chances. With the memory fresh of the July 20 shooting spree at a "Dark Knight" movie showing in Colorado that left 12 people dead and 58 wounded, police and theater security are vigilant.

"After Colorado anything is possible," said Arcuri. "When you consider the movie he was going to and what happened in Colorado, you have to wonder what would make him want to bring the weapons into that particular film. Our police officer did a great job spotting him."

Arcuri said Westlake Officer Jeremiah Bullins was off duty and working security at the Regal Cinema in the Crocker Park shopping center around 10 p.m. Saturday when he saw the theater manager talking to a man carrying a satchel. The manager did not ask to look inside the satchel.

Bullins followed the man when he walked into the theater showing the Batman movie and sat down.

"He entered the theater a half-hour early and was the only one in there," said Arcuri. "Bullins talked to the man and asked if he could see inside his bag. It was a consensual encounter.

"Bullins looked inside and saw a loaded Glock 9 millimeter handgun; two fully loaded magazine clips; three knives in the bag and one on his person," Arcuri continued. "When Bullins asked why he carried the weapons into the theater, the man said, 'No problem. I'll put them in my car.' But it was too late for that."

Smith was taken to the Westlake jail, where he refused to talk to police. (The Sun News is also pursuing this story; see their coverage.)

Matthew Bruce, attorney for Smith, said that if the allegations are true, Smith only brought the handgun to the theater to protect himself.

"He has never been in trouble with the law in this or any other state," Bruce said. "In light of the shooting in Colorado and similar threats, if he did bring a handgun to the theater it would have been for his perosonal protection and there would have been no intention of shooting anyone or causeing a panic."

Police believe Smith, who has a wife and young daughter, spent a short time in the military. He does not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. He does not have a criminal record, Arcuri said.

Smith married Jennifer Sullivan in 2009, a year after she purchased the house on Emerald Street.

He was then employed as a researcher for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and his wife, also known as Jennifer Smith, was a branch manager of a local bank.

He filed for bankruptcy in September, 2010, but the application was rejected in February, 2011, because the combined wages of he and his wife were deemed enough to pay off the debts.

Records show that Smith had lived in North Ridgeville since 2008 and previously lived in Braintree, Mass.; Boyertown, Pa.; Schwenksville, Pa., and more than a dozen other locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Westlake police executed a search warrant at Smith's North Ridgeville home Monday night.

Pati Habenicht, who lives across from Smith, said she didn't know about his arrest until this morning and then connected the dots with the search of the home.

"I told my husband when the other shooting happened, there was going to be a 'me too' thing. But our neighbor? It's crazy," she said.

Habenicht said early after Smith moved to the neighborhood, he and she had a conversation about her just getting a license to ride a motorcycle. She said Smith has a Harley.

Arcuri said they found about eight rifles and handguns at Smith's house along with a "survivalists gear" such as gas masks and bulletprooof vests.

A neighbor said the search of the home began around 7 p.m. and lasted at least three hours. North Ridgeville Police Chief Michael Freeman said he is not aware of any encounters between Smith and police.

Arcuri said Westlake police arrested Smith on charges of carrying a concealed weapons and three other weapons offenses. The case will be turned over to the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office for possible additional charges.