Sheriff's Deputies Subdue Man Brandishing Starter Pistol on Oakland AC Transit Bus
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Alameda County Sheriff's deputies on Monday were able to safely subdue a man who was brandishing what appeared to be a handgun on an AC Transit bus in Oakland, according to authorities.
A Facebook post by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office Monday said that at about 1030 a.m., deputies assigned to AC Transit police services responded to a report of a man with a gun on an AC Transit bus at 73rd Avenue and International Boulevard.
When the deputies arrived at the scene, the suspect made numerous threats that he had a weapon and wanted deputies to shoot him. Deputies worked quickly to keep everyone on the bus safe while trying to get the suspect to surrender without deadly force.
The deputies were able to deploy a taser and less lethal munitions to subdue the suspect and detain him without further incident and no injuries to themselves, the suspect or bystanders.
After taking the man into custody, deputies determined the gun the suspect had was a starter pistol designed to fire blanks that looks like a real handgun. The Alameda County Sheriff's Department Facebook post included photos of the replica weapon.
The suspect was placed on a psychiatric hold with criminal charges pending.
"We want to take this opportunity to recognize our deputies, the bus operator and passengers for helping to bring this dangerous encounter to a safe ending," the post read. "We are fortunate our deputies used tremendous restraint and courage to resolve a potentially lethal situation."
Authorities did not identify the suspect or say what charges he would be facing in connection with the incident.
