Asian lawyer was arrested by the police while carrying a gun while watching the Batman movie (picture)

Asian lawyer was watching the Batman movie while carrying a gun. Arrested by the police (photo) for bringing a gun into the theater to watch the Batman series...

Sung-Ho Hwang, an Asian lawyer from New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested for bringing a gun into a theater to watch the Batman movie "Dark Knight." (Picture source: New Haven Police Department)

An Asian lawyer in New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested on Tuesday after he entered a theater to watch the Batman movie "Dark Knight" with a live pistol. The police arrested him after receiving a report. Last month, during a screening of the same movie in Colorado, a gunman massacred 12 people. The lawyer said he felt the need to carry a weapon for protection and that he had a gun licence.

46-year-old Sung-Ho Hwang (transliteration) is a well-known immigration lawyer and has just been elected president of the New Haven Bar Association. He said he usually doesn't carry a gun, but he did so on Tuesday because the movie didn't end until one o'clock in the morning and he felt he had to bring a gun to protect himself. He has a state-issued firearms license. He said: "There is no sign in the movie theater saying that you cannot bring guns. Within the scope of the law, I have the right to bring guns there."

Huang Songhe said at a press conference held at his New Haven law office on Wednesday: "We should focus on the real question: Why is New Haven so unsafe? Why do law-abiding citizens feel they need to carry weapons?"

Regarding the above statement, the police had a different view at the press conference they held.

New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman said at a news conference on Wednesday: "We are not talking about gun licenses here. What we are talking about here is customers getting scared, they call the police, and then we come."

Huang Songhe did not touch the gun or pose a threat to other patrons at the movie theater, police said, but they noticed that patrons were nervous because of the shooting in Colorado.

Huang Songhe was charged with breach of peace and interfering with police enforcement. The police said that Huang Songhe was not charged because he went to the movie theater with a gun, but because he disobeyed the police's orders when he encountered the police in the movie theater.

At 10pm on Tuesday, after receiving a call, the police rushed into the cinema showing the Batman movie.

Customers told police they saw a man carrying a holstered pistol. The police first searched the screening room where another movie was being played, and then found Huang Songhe in the screening room next door, where "The Dark Knight" had not yet started.

Officials ordered about 12 customers to raise their hands and checked in one by one before letting them out. They were also searched by the police.

When the police found Huang Songhe holding a gun, they immediately raised their weapons and ordered him to raise his hands. Police said he failed to comply and continued to sit in his seat and play with his phone.

Police then used force to arrest him. They removed the pistol Huang was wearing on his belt, handcuffed him and led him out of the theater.

Iserman arrived at the theater Tuesday night and praised the 20 police officers for their quick action. Several Yale police officers also responded.

"Just because something is legal, doesn't mean it's right," Mayor John DeStefano said at a press conference Wednesday. "Just like we don't want to walk into a theater and hear people yelling 'fire,' we don't want people walking into a theater with guns."