An Arizona man faces obstruction charges after being subdued with non-lethal force by Folsom Police officers during a mental health incident involving an air-soft rifle replicating an AR-15 last week.
On Sunday, Folsom Police Department dispatchers received multiple calls about a suspicious male subject reportedly talking to himself while waving around perceived replica firearms at two different locations, according to a report released by Folsom Police.
Officers quickly located the man as he was driving out of the Folsom Aquatic Center, following him at a safe distance until enough patrol units were assembled and then initiated a high-risk traffic stop at Blue Ravine Road and Prairie City Road, the report said.
Once stopped, the suspect began waving a toy gun out of the sunroof of the vehicle. He then exited the vehicle and proceeded to dance around in the street while ignoring the officers’ verbal commands.
The suspect then moved to the trunk of the vehicle, where he produced what was later determined to be an air soft gun replicating that of an AR-15. The suspect reportedly removed the magazine, waved it around without pointing it at the officers, then threw it to the ground.
“Our officers quickly formulated a plan to bring this situation to a rapid and safe conclusion,” Folsom Police noted in their report. “Using a shotgun designated for non-lethal projectiles, an officer fired a beanbag round at the suspect, striking him on his left side
Police explained that the non-lethal maneuver, “distracted the suspect long enough for our officers to safely approach and take him into custody without further incident.”
Upon further investigation, officers determined that the AR-15 pistol was an, “incredibly realistic airsoft gun.” The man was identified as a resident of Arizona whose name is being withheld due to the nature of the incident and the investigation. He was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Jail on charges of resisting/obstructing a peace officer and was placed on a mental health hold.
“Police officers are frequently forced to make split-second life-or-death decisions in the line of duty. Thankfully, due to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved, from our dispatchers to patrol officers, this situation was resolved quickly and peacefully,” cited Folsom Police.
