Arnold Police arrested a 20-year-old St. Charles man for allegedly pointing a gun at and threatening a 49-year-old Imperial man and his children in the drive-thru lane at the Burger King restaurant, 3600 W. Outer Road, in Arnold. No shots were fired, police reported.
Officers got a call around 12:40 p.m. Feb. 19 about the incident, and when officers arrived at the restaurant, the victim told police he was trying to place an order at the drive-thru speaker but couldn’t get close enough because he was behind a 2002 Toyota Camry in the drive-thru and that driver hadn’t pulled up far enough. The alleged victim said he shouted to the driver in front of him to pull forward, the report said.
The victim said the man in the Camry instead got out of his car holding a .9mm gun. The man allegedly pointed the gun at the victim and his 12-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter, who also were in his pickup. The victim said the man allegedly threatened to shoot him if he didn’t shut up, according to the report.
A woman in the Camry told the man with the gun to get back in the car. He did and then drove away without harming anyone, the report said.
The alleged victim gave police the license number from the Camry, and officers found the owner in Valley Park. The car’s owner said she had lent it to her granddaughter, according to the report.
Officers located the Camry outside a home in the 2200 block of Sonora Drive in Arnold. A woman at the home allegedly confirmed the victim’s story, and officers found the suspect in the house, along with the gun, the report said.
When officers arrested the man, he allegedly refused to leave the house, but eventually officers got him out, and he was transported to the Police Station. The man was booked and released pending the application for warrants, according to the report.
Arnold Police will seek charges against the St. Charles man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for first-degree assault with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest, Cpl. Brett Ackermann said.