Man arrested for shooting at squirrels with handgun

Published 9:49 am Thursday, April 30, 2009

An Austin man was arrested for reckless discharge of a firearm within city limits after allegedly shooting at squirrels with a handgun.

According to reports, Austin police were called to a report of a man pointing a gun out the window of his home at around 7:16 p.m. Wednesday. Police made contact with a homeowner at 605 10th St. N.E. who reported the incident.

Officers then observed a white male with a shaved head throw something out the back of a home at 603 10th St. N.E. The man then went back into the house and reportedly came back with a large handgun.

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Officers observed the man fire the weapon into the ground. Officers pulled their own weapons and pointed them at the man, ordering him to throw the weapon down and keep his hands outside the window.

Officers entered the premises and found another subject inside the home. Out back, officers observed a DVD player with gunshot.

The subject told police he had taken the garbage out and when he looked later had seen the garbage was torn into and determined it to be squirrels.

The subject then said that he used the handgun — a .357 Magnum — to scare the squirrels. He told police that he checked the area behind and thought it was safe and only intended to fire the shots into the ground.

Then he said the next thing he heard were police yelling at him to put the gun down.

The suspect has not been charged.