Pellet gun brought to park
A local youth received probation and was banned from the Civic Center for brandishing a pellet gun outside the Jungle Jym recently.
The defendant, Johnathan Paul Humphrey, 20, was released from jail on time served, banned from the Civic Center, ordered to perform 16 hours public service work and must forfeit his pellet gun on the charge of carrying a weapon in a public park. He will remain on supervised probation for six months.
His sentence comes in connection with a state law which forbids the carrying of any type of weapon on public park grounds. The law covers things such as civic centers, ball parks, walking trails and other state, county or city owned areas frequented by the public. Carrying a weapon on U.S. park grounds can bring federal charges.
The incident involving Humphrey happened last month when police were called to the Jungle Jym by witnesses who said a man was brandishing a gun. When police arrived they reported seeing the suspect speed off in a car. The car was stopped, however, before it could leave the parking lot.
The suspect was asked by police, with guns drawn, if he had a weapon, to which, he reached out and placed the pellet gun on his vehicle. The reason for the alleged brandishing of the pellet gun remains a mystery.
Even though pellet pistols are not generally viewed as deadly weapons, although they have been linked with fatalities in some instances, gas- or air-powered shooting devices are included in the park weapons ban.