Monroe man arrested after pointing pellet gun that resembled handgun near gas station, police say
A man was arrested and taken to jail after police investigated calls that someone was brandishing a handgun at people near a gas station in Monroe, Michigan.
The item initially identified as a handgun turned out to be an unloaded pellet gun.
"This was a dangerous situation that could have ended very differently," Monroe Public Safety Director Chad J. Tolstedt said in the press release. "Thanks to the professionalism, vigilance, and training of our Monroe Police Officers, the incident was resolved peacefully without injuries."
The circumstances began about 5:25 p.m. Wednesday near the Kroger Fuel Center at 1028 S. Monroe Street. The gas station is in a shopping plaza at the corner of South Monroe Street (M-125) and Jones Avenue, just south of a Kroger supermarket.
When a police officer arrived to check on the call of a man walking with and waving a black handgun, the suspect proceeded to point what was believed to be a handgun twice directly at the officer's patrol vehicle.
Additional officers quickly arrived and found the suspect, identified as a 23-year-old Monroe resident, about a block or two north of the gas station.
"As officers approached, the suspect was reportedly pulling the trigger and waving the weapon, which emitted clicking sounds, indicating that the firearm may have been unloaded. Despite multiple commands to drop the weapon, the suspect initially resisted but eventually complied," the press release said.
Then, as officers tried to take the man into custody, "he actively resisted arrest."
The suspect was taken to the Monroe County Jail, where he is being held pending arraignment on charges of obstructing justice, resisting and obstructing, and felonious assault.
Upon inspection, police determined the item initially thought to be a weapon was an unloaded pellet gun modeled after a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol.
"A comparison of the seized pellet gun and a real Glock 19 handgun illustrates the striking resemblance between the two, underscoring the potential for a tragic outcome in such situations," police said in their report.
The Monroe Police Department, in its report, thanked citizens who reported the suspicious activity and Michigan State Police for assisting at the scene.
