Ventura police used a stun gun to arrest a 48-year-old man after he allegedly tried to arm himself with a knife, according to authorities.
On July 15 around 7 a.m., Ventura Police Department officers arrested the man during an illegal camping and trespassing enforcement operation in the Santa Clara River bottom area near the 3700 block of Harbor Boulevard, according to a department news release.
Officers said they recognized a man from a previous incident and knew he had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court for the earlier alleged crime, police said.
Officers identified themselves and ordered the man to surrender, but he “began rummaging through items inside the encampment and attempted to arm himself with a knife,” police said.
Citing fear for their own safety, officers said they deployed a stun gun, which they said stopped the man and allowed officers to disarm and arrest him.
Officers said they found two loaded handguns and one unloaded handgun from the encampment, as well as drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine believed for the purpose of being sold, police said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of multiple felonies including gun possession, brandishing a deadly weapon, resisting an arrest and possession of drugs for sale and other misdeameanors, officers said.
He is currently in Ventura County jail with a bail set at $70,000 and a Ventura County Superior Court hearing scheduled for July 17, jail records show.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura police uses stun gun to arrest 1 in river bottom area
Reporting by Staff reports, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Staff reports, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
