Brandon Dowd, a freshman studying sociology who was arrested by UTPD officers on Saturday at Laurel Hall after bringing two musket rifles to his dorm room, told The Daily Beacon that he uses the rifles for Civil War reenactments and that he had brought the rifles into Laurel on several occasions before. 

On Saturday, Dowd was arrested around 5 p.m. and taken into custody, according to the UT Crime Log. He said he stayed in jail for the night and was released early the next morning. His muskets, which were found alongside black powder, primers and two bayonets, have been confiscated until a court verdict is reached. 

In Tennessee, it is a class B misdemeanor to carry a firearm on campus that is not solely for instructional or school-sanctioned ceremonial purposes. The misdemeanor is punishable with up to 6 months in jail and up to $500 in fines. Carrying a weapon with the intent to go armed is a felony. 

Dowd, who has worked with the National Park Services on reenactment projects, said he plans to fight the misdemeanor charges in court. 

Dowd had been planning to participate in a filmed reenactment before the rifles were confiscated, and he was able to explain the situation to officers before his arrest. 

“They were pretty respectful about it, and I could tell they didn’t really want to. They thought it was stupid, but of course, they were doing their job as well,” Dowd said. 

Dowd does not have a permit to carry the muskets, but believed it was OK to store them on campus since multiple authority figures, including RAs, had seen him with the guns previously. 

Though full-time non-student employees of the university who have an enhanced handgun carry permit may carry concealed handguns, they must notify the police department and complete paperwork in the presence of a sworn officer. 

“When they did dorm checks, they didn’t say anything about it last semester or this semester,” Dowd said. “I’ve walked into the building 20 or more times with both of my muskets.”

Dowd’s work as a reenactor raises money to support the preservation of historical battlefields, and he is a part of multiple reenactment organizations, which he said have raised tens of thousands of dollars for national battlefield trust. 

With an arrest now on his record at a crisis point for the national firearms debate, Dowd took issue with the nature of his detainment.  

“Lawfully, I believe it’s justified, but morally, I don’t believe it’s justified,” Dowd said. 

Dowd’s arraignment is set for April 4.