Florida A&M University’s Police Department launched a search for Tallahassee resident Charles Green after he allegedly abducted a student early Thursday morning in the parking lot behind Coleman Library.
FAMUPD reported that Green, 23, forced the woman into her car at gunpoint. Police withheld the woman’s identity but did report that both individuals are Tallahassee residents who have been dating for three years.
James Lockley Jr., assistant chief of police, said FAMUPD received a call about an alleged kidnapping around 12:30 a.m.
Lockley said the woman was found a little more than an hour later walking with Green on Orange Avenue. The woman told police she was fine and refused to prosecute, Lockley said.
Despite the woman’s refusal to press charges, FAMUPD plan to arrest Green for possession of a firearm on campus, Lockley said.
“This is a weapon-free, drug-free campus,” he said.
Lockley described Green as 6-foot, 1-inch tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Lockley said Green is not a FAMU student. Green is at large and FAMUPD are looking to arrest him upon identifying his whereabouts.
“You definitely don’t come on this campus assaulting anyone,” Lockley said.
According to Lockley, the woman called Green to pick her up from the library, but an argument ensued between the two. The woman then locked her boyfriend out of the car and threatened to call the police.
Lockley said Green responded, “‘I’ll give you something to call the police about.'” Green then reportedly pulled out a firearm and slammed it on top of the car. He maneuvered his way into her vehicle and sped off with the woman in the car.
A student leaving Coleman Library said he heard a loud argument but did not think anything of it.
Other students sitting outside said they didn’t see anything but felt bad about the situation.
“I could have been kidnapped,” said Kerene Nelson, 19, a business student from Fort Lauderdale.
Nelson said she saw University police and did not know what was going on but did not feel the need to investigate, either.
“That’s crazy,” said Nelson. “I’m pissed off that something like that happened. I need to be more aware of my surroundings.”
Lockley said this incident was primarily domestic but said students should still be concerned and worried because “they brought this foolishness to the campus.”
He said if students are aware of what’s going on around them, it could aid the police department in keeping the campus safe.
“You (the students) are our eyes and ears, and we need and depend on those that see things to get us involved,” Lockley said.
Lockley said this is the second on-campus incident involving firearms this year where the suspects were not FAMU students. The first was Sept. 22 when shots were fired at a birthday party in Palmetto Phase III.
“Students need to help us keep this ‘riff raff’ from off our campus,” Lockley said.
Anyone who has information about Green’s whereabouts is asked to call FAMUPD at (850) 599-3256.