Man arrested after police find concealed sword

Brewer police arrested a man after finding a short sword concealed in his cane and an air pistol in his belt Monday night.

Officer Tony Pinnette said that at about 9:15 p.m. he was driving on South Main Street when he saw a man walking with a cane in his hand. Pinnette said the head of the cane had a dragon’s head carved on it, a design common in canes that double as a sword.

Pinnette stopped to speak to the man. Cpl. Richard Smith also pulled over to assist. Pinnette asked the man, Peter Marshall, 19, of Brewer, if the cane held a sword. Marshall allegedly said, “No, but it has a knife in it.”

Pinnette opened the cane, he said, and discovered a 24-inch blade. He asked Marshall if he had any other weapons. Marshall handed him a jackknife, Pinnette said. Pinnette then patted Marshall down.

As he reached for an object stuffed in Marshall’s waistband, Pinnette said, Marshall made a sudden hand movement toward his waist. Pinnette grabbed what turned out to be an air pistol. Pinnette said he later determined that Marshall had been trying to help by lifting his shirt up, but that the sudden movement was unclear at the time.

Pinnette found a butterfly knife. He also found an unusual knife with a circular body about 5 inches across, and three blades that folded open from uniformly spaced points around the circle, evidently designed to be thrown.

Marshall was arrested and charged with possession of a concealed weapon and trafficking in dangerous knives. Pinnette said Marshall later explained to him that he collected knives and that he was carrying the air gun for his own protection.

Bangor police arrested an Oakland woman Monday evening after Wal-Mart security complained that she and her friend had tried to steal baseball cards.

Officer Wade Betters reported that at about 8 p.m. Officer Larry Morrill went to the Springer Drive area and met with Tori Gifford, 26, and Anthony Nigro, 24, both of Oakland. Store security had given police descriptions of both, saying they had just left the store and might be carrying stolen baseball cards.

They denied taking the cards, Betters said, and a Wal-Mart employee arrived soon after saying that the cards had been located in the store. Nigro allegedly explained that he put the cards on a shelf in the store when he saw the employee following them. Officer Betters wrote out a criminal trespass warning for both Nigro and Gifford.

Gifford was arrested after the officers discovered she had an active warrant for failure to pay a fine for operating after suspension. She was bailed from Penobscot County Jail for $163.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Isaac Kimball