A Sacramento City College student was arrested Saturday night in the University Union after attacking several people with pepper spray and threatening to spray police officers.

Gimone Olonza Bryant, 20, was arrested and charged with five counts of battery including: resisting arrest, disturbing the peace, battery on a police officer and use of pepper spray for purposes other than self defense, according to the police report.

Bryant was the guest of a Sheldon High School student, who was attending her senior ball in the University Ballroom, said John Hamrick, public information officer for Campus Police.

“Bryant had an altercation with the female, and he ripped her necklace from her neck and used pepper spray on several students,” Hamrick said.

Two officers were assigned to cover the event, and when they approached Bryant, he raised his arm as if to spray the officers. He then refused the officers? order to drop the canister of pepper spray.

“The officers were able to grab his hand and remove the bottle,” Hamrick said. “He was restrained, handcuffed and booked into the county jail.”

The pepper spray charge against Bryant is a felony.

“Anytime [pepper spray] is used as an offensive weapon, it is a felony,” Hamrick said.

The police officers were not sprayed, but they felt the effects of the pepper spray lingering in the air. Approximately 30 or 40 students in the lobby were coughing and sneezing as a result of the pepper spray, but none were taken to the hospital, Hamrick said.

“The ballroom and the lobby were evacuated to clear the air, and then the students were allowed to return to the ball,” Hamrick said.