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(UPDATE) Man Involved in Cinemark Gun Incident Arrested

paducahky.gov

Update Wednesday: Grabinski has been arrested after turning himself in Tuesday night. He is charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, second-degree disorderly conduct, fourth-degree assault and menacing. He was released on a $2,500 dollar bond. 

UPDATE, Tuesday: An arrest warrant has been issued for the Illinois man who pulled a gun inside the Cinemark Theater over the weekend. 

John Grabinski, 64, of Ozark, IL, is charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, second-degree disorderly conduct, fourth-degree assault and menacing. 

Monday, the McCracken County Attorney recommended that charges be brought over the Saturday morning incident. 

According to Paducah Police, John Hempen, 38, of Paducah, told officers Saturday that while at the theater, Grabinski began cursing his 14-year-old son for kicking the back of his seat.  Hempen said he interjected and the two men began arguing. 

Witnesses say Grabinski then pushed Hempen and the two began fighting. When Grabinski was knocked to the ground, he got up brandishing a handgun. At that time, some patrons  ran for the exit.

A group of theater employees and patrons then escorted Grabinski outside to wait for police.  

Grabinski is banned from Cinemark property.

He has not yet been arrested. 

Original story: 

Paducah Police are seeking charges against an Illinois man who pulled a gun on theater-goers at Cinemark on Saturday. Police  present their investigation Monday to the McCracken County Attorney's office for charges.

According to a police report, officers were called to the theater at 11:50 a.m. after a fight broke out inside. A man told officer Dana Davie that he and his son were sitting behind another man and the the son was kicking the back of the man's seat. Witnesses said the man got up, cursed the youth and asked if he was going to continue kicking the seat. 

The boy's father interceded and a fight broke out between the men. As the father got the upper hand, the other man pulled out a gun and said "What the (expletive) are you going to do now," according to the report.

Other theater-goers ran towards the exit. The man was escorted outside by employees and patrons. 

The man was banned from Cinemark property.

Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
Rob Canning is a native of Murray, KY, a 2015 TV Production grad of Murray State. At MSU, he served as team captain of the Murray State Rowing Club. Rob's goal is to become a screenwriter, film director or producer and looks to the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for inspiration. He appreciates good music, mainly favoring British rock n' roll, and approves of anything with Jack White's name on it. When not studying, rowing or writing, Rob enjoys spending his free time with a book or guitar.
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