Knimrod
04-12-2006, 06:19 PM
Motorist's toy gun leads to his arrest
April 12, 2006
By Lisa Roose-Church
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
A television scene — police, with guns drawn, standing near a stopped vehicle — became a reality during Tuesday morning rush hour when officers stopped a motorist on the expressway near Fowlerville after he allegedly brandished what appeared to be a firearm at other drivers.
What officers found when once they searched the man's vehicle was an air gun, a toy that shoots plastic pellets.
Undersheriff Mike Murphy of the Livingston County Sheriff's Department said 911 Central Dispatch received a call at about 7 a.m. of a possible road rage incident and put out a general broadcast to look for a conversion van heading westbound on Interstate 96.
Another motorist called a short time later, near the Kensington Lake Road area, to say a driver pointed a silver gun at him.
Sheriff's Deputies Dave Klein and Nick Williamson with assistance from Trooper Jason Hoogstra of the Brighton post of the Michigan State Police and a Fowlerville officer stopped the van between Fowlerville Road and the Ingham County line.
With guns drawn, officers approached the vehicle and took the driver — a 55-year-old Detroit man — into custody.
Murphy said the suspect told police that he did not point a gun, but his cellular phone, at another motorist because he was mad. The reason for his anger was not disclosed.
However, officers did a routine search of the man's vehicle and discovered a silver air gun.
Air pistols are typically spring- or air-powered replicas of real guns.
"We didn't believe his story so we locked him up," Murphy said.
The man was lodged at the Livingston County Jail, but was expected to be released to Oakland County officials because the actual road rage incident occurred east of Livingston County.
Although police did not close the highway, traffic was backed up for at least a couple of miles for about five minutes while officers arrested the Detroit man, Hoogstra said.
"The first couple (of drivers) saw what was going on and stopped; it just backed up from there," he noted.
The Michigan State Police is continuing the investigation.
Link to story (http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/NEWS01/604120322/1002)
April 12, 2006
By Lisa Roose-Church
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
A television scene — police, with guns drawn, standing near a stopped vehicle — became a reality during Tuesday morning rush hour when officers stopped a motorist on the expressway near Fowlerville after he allegedly brandished what appeared to be a firearm at other drivers.
What officers found when once they searched the man's vehicle was an air gun, a toy that shoots plastic pellets.
Undersheriff Mike Murphy of the Livingston County Sheriff's Department said 911 Central Dispatch received a call at about 7 a.m. of a possible road rage incident and put out a general broadcast to look for a conversion van heading westbound on Interstate 96.
Another motorist called a short time later, near the Kensington Lake Road area, to say a driver pointed a silver gun at him.
Sheriff's Deputies Dave Klein and Nick Williamson with assistance from Trooper Jason Hoogstra of the Brighton post of the Michigan State Police and a Fowlerville officer stopped the van between Fowlerville Road and the Ingham County line.
With guns drawn, officers approached the vehicle and took the driver — a 55-year-old Detroit man — into custody.
Murphy said the suspect told police that he did not point a gun, but his cellular phone, at another motorist because he was mad. The reason for his anger was not disclosed.
However, officers did a routine search of the man's vehicle and discovered a silver air gun.
Air pistols are typically spring- or air-powered replicas of real guns.
"We didn't believe his story so we locked him up," Murphy said.
The man was lodged at the Livingston County Jail, but was expected to be released to Oakland County officials because the actual road rage incident occurred east of Livingston County.
Although police did not close the highway, traffic was backed up for at least a couple of miles for about five minutes while officers arrested the Detroit man, Hoogstra said.
"The first couple (of drivers) saw what was going on and stopped; it just backed up from there," he noted.
The Michigan State Police is continuing the investigation.
Link to story (http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/NEWS01/604120322/1002)