Man drops gun during Kilmer town hall meeting at Olympic College

BREMERTON — A town hall forum hosted Thursday by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer at Olympic College took an unexpected turn when one of the attendees found a handgun on the floor of the William D. Havey Theatre.

No one was injured.

The Bremerton Police Department investigated but is taking no action at the moment, since the owner of the gun left the building before he could be identified, Capt. Tom Wolfe said.

About 75 people attended the forum, covering various topics related to education, according to OC spokesman Shawn Devine. About half the audience remained after the conclusion of the forum when someone in the audience alerted bystanders that there was a gun on the floor in the second row, Devine said.

Timothy Biba, Kilmer's spokesman who was at the event, told police he started to bend down to secure the weapon when "an elderly male approached and sheepishly said it was his gun," the police report states. "The male picked up the pistol by the barrel, tucked it in his hat and left the building."

On the way out, the man told Devine he had a concealed pistol license. Devine said he made no effort to stop the man, who left quickly. "I get the sense maybe he felt embarrassed by what happened," Devine said.

OC prohibits students from carrying firearms on campus, Devine said. If they have a concealed weapons permit, they can store a firearm in their vehicle as long as it is locked and out of view.

Employees are prohibited from possessing dangerous or unauthorized materials such as explosives or firearms in the workplace, the employee handbook states.

"These policies and procedures don't apply to members of the public," Devine said.

Wolfe said it was questionable whether loss of the gun constitutes a crime, given Biba's statement that the man's demeanor was calm and non-threatening, an observation confirmed by Devine.

"Technically, it might fall under display of a weapon," Wolfe said, but from reports, it appeared the gun owner had no intent to cause alarm.

"If he didn't have a concealed weapons permit, that's a whole other thing," Wolfe said.

Wolfe said if the identity of the gun owner were known, the police department likely would forward its report to the Bremerton Municipal Court prosecutor to determine whether charges should be filed.

"It would take the totality of the circumstances and the court to decide that," Wolfe said.

Wolfe said the incident highlights the onus on gun owners.

"Yeah, it's a right, but it's also one that comes with responsibility. There's a huge responsibility that goes with that," Wolfe said. "If you're going to conceal carry, you have to have a sufficient holster that keeps the weapon secure. It is a very bad idea to just tuck a gun in your waistband and go out the door."

The man who picked up the gun is described as a white male in his 70s, six feet tall with grey hair and a grey mustache. He was wearing a blazer, a green fedora-style hat with a feather and glasses, and is described as looking like Stan Lee, the comic book author.

Devine said the man asked a question toward the end of the forum if Kilmer would support impeachment of President Donald Trump. Devine said gun control as related to school safety was one topic among many discussed at the forum.

Biba said other than affirming the description of events in the police report, Kilmer's office had no statement on the incident.

The forum at Olympic College was one of three Kilmer held this week seeking feedback from students.

The other forums were in Tacoma and Port Angeles. About half the people who attended the forum in Bremerton were students, Devine said.

Olympic College recently completed a third-party audit of its campus safety and security. Results are being reviewed by college officials and will be released to the public soon, Devine said.

The safety audit stemmed from forums last spring with students and staff following staff complaints about campus safety. The college conducted an investigation into complaints against its director of campus safety after a vote of no confidence by the union representing security guards.

Former security director Daniel Walkup in August accepted a lateral move to become director of emergency management and Poulsbo campus site manager.

"These changes are part of broader efforts to best meet the safety needs of our campuses," former President David Mitchell said in an email before he left office to retire earlier this year.

An interim security director, Randy Olson, was appointed about a month ago, Devine said.