No gun in Monday ʻroad rageʼ incident

Personnel Responded With Guns Drawn Amid Claims Of Rearm During Arguement

A Pierce College student was detained after police were alerted of a possible gun threat in Parking Lot 1 on Monday, authorities said.

Sheriff Al Guerrero, who was patrolling on the Mall, was flagged down by a man yelling that there was a person with a gun.

“There was no weapon found,” Guerrero said.

The man suspected of having a gun was stopped in his vehicle by sheriffs who then drew their weapons in front of the Student Services Building around 3:45 p.m.

The man that alerted police of the threat but refused to release his name, said he was walking through the parking lot when a man “driving violently” in a black Mercedes nearly hit him.

“A male student ran up to me and said there was a gun. He yelled,’Gun! Gun! Gun!’” Guerrero said. “I initiated a felony stop. It’s a high risk stop when somebody is armed.”

“There seemed to be an argument over somebody’s driving habits,” Guerrero said. “There was a student that claimed that he was almost hit; the other student said he didn’t, and an argument ensued.”

“He thought he saw him reach for a possible weapon,” Guerrero said. “It turned out to be a large misunderstanding.”

Although crowds gathered at the scene, authorities said no arrests were necessary.

“No crime was committed,” Guerrero said.

When interviewed after the incident, the man that alerted police said that a weapon was involved.

“The guy tried to hit me with a crowbar and threatened my life,” said the man who flagged police.

A Roundup photographer who witnessed the scene heard the driver threaten the man that hailed the police because he was talking to the driver’s girlfriend. A friend of the driver, who was on the phone with him at the time of conflict, arrived at the scene and was detained for interfering with police investigation.

“He came over to help but his emotions got the best of him,” Guerrero said.

The situation was resolved after law enforcement pieced the situation together, and all parties were released without charge.

Video footage of the high risk traffic stop can be viewed at www. theroundupnews. com.