University Police Department officers arrested a man on campus Wednesday who they reported was carrying a gun.
Ernest Booker Jr., 35, was arrested on charges of possession of a firearm on school property, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and giving false identification to officers, said Robert Wagner, UPD spokesman.
UPD officers arrived at Library West about 9:15 a.m. after receiving a tip that a suspicious person had entered the library, laid a backpack on the floor and walked out, Wagner said.
Officers found Booker, who met the caller's description of wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers hat and shirt, on the third floor, he said.
Booker agreed to be searched, Wagner said. He was patted down after police saw a bulge in his pocket, which turned out to be an inhaler, he said.
When officers asked Booker if he had anything else in his pockets, they found a small .22-caliber derringer-style gun and arrested him, he said.
He was booked at the Alachua County Jail at about 1:15 p.m., according to jail records.
Wagner said Booker is not a UF student. According to a UPD report, he is a convicted felon from Illinois.
