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Incident involving airsoft gun leads to panic at Boardman shopping plaza
BOARDMAN
A Louisiana man faces a charge of inducing panic after township police received multiple 911 calls Wednesday afternoon about a man sitting in a truck at The Shops at Boardman Park, pointing a rifle at people.
About 10 officers responded to the parking lot near the Old Navy store at the shopping plaza next to Boardman Park about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Officers surrounded the suspect’s gray Ford Silverado truck at gunpoint.
“He had a sniper rifle across his lap,” said Sgt. Darrell Wagner.
Wagner said the suspect, identified as Donald Pickney, 47, told police the gun was an airsoft rifle he had just purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods, across the street from the shopping plaza.
Pickney told police he was putting the rifle together while his girlfriend shopped at Old Navy. He said he came here from Louisiana to visit family for the holidays.
“It’s the last shopping day. It’s all crazy. ... And he goes and does something like this,” Wagner said. “It’s really stupid.”
“Luckily he never fired it, and there were no shots fired on our part,” he said.
After Pickney exited the truck, however, an officer noticed a pistol in the vehicle, Wagner said. Police discovered that the pistol was loaded, with a round in the chamber. Pickney did not have the required permits to carry the weapon, police said.
Pickney is charged with a misdemeanor count of inducing panic and a felony count of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Pickney is scheduled to appear in Mahoning County Area Court here Tuesday for an arraignment hearing.