On September 19th at about 1:45 a.m., officers were investigating a theft unrelated to this incident when they observed a fight breaking out at the corner of South Main Street and 1st Avenue. There was a large crowd of revelers in the area from nearby nightclubs.
The officers learned that the primary suspect in the fight disturbance was possibly armed with a pistol as several people in the crowd reported that he displayed it. Two patrol officers caught up to the individual, but he managed to drop the gun down a stairwell on the northwest corner of South Main Street and 1st Ave before they detained him. Fortunately, the officers saw him in the stairwell and one of the officers quickly recovered a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Initially, as officers began to investigate, officers detained the victim and the suspect, as well as a couple of witnesses. Officers were eventually able to establish that a verbal argument broke out between the suspect and the primary victim on the street. The victim’s female companion interjected herself into the argument, the suspect responded by pulling up his shirt to display the pistol in his waistband. The victims fled toward the officers notifying them that the suspect was armed. It is not know whether the suspect was armed while inside the nightclub. A computer check also revealed that the pistol had been reported stolen. The officers booked the suspect for the Investigation of VUFA (felony gun charges) and possession of stolen property.