Cops: NCC student arrested after brandishing BB gun

A Nassau Community College student was arrested Monday after pointing a BB gun at another student during an argument, police said.

Jamil Salim, 20, of New Hyde Park, was charged with menacing, Nassau police said.

At about 9:15 a.m. Monday, Salim and the other unidentified student got into an argument in the student center over a woman, and went outside to fight, said Det. Lt. Ray Coté. After Salim saw the other student's friends follow him out to the fight, police said he told them he felt overwhelmed and pulled out the BB gun.

The fight resumed about 20 minutes later when the two met up in a hallway outside their classes on the East Garden City campus. Campus security was called, and they detained him until police arrived.

Salim, who is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, was suspended from the college pending a hearing to determine whether he will be expelled, school spokesman Reggie Tuggle said.

"Bringing a BB gun to an educational institution is always inappropriate," Tuggle said. "Thank goodness nobody was harmed."

The BB gun, which looked a lot like a real gun, was found in Salim's car, Cote said.

"These kids, they think they're hot stuff, but the police could take that BB gun to be real, and the guy who thinks he's so tough could end up in a very bad situation," Cote said.

A police spokesman said they do not believe the incident is related to threatening and racially charged letters discovered at the school last week. Nassau police are paying special attention to the campus area in light of the recent threats, and campus police are also stepping up their presence, Tuggle said.