La. man who sparked panic over airgun at Boardman Shops arraigned
BOARDMAN
A Louisiana man charged with inducing panic after he pointed an air rifle out of his truck at the Shops at Boardman Park on Dec. 24 pleaded not guilty to the charge in court Tuesday.
Donald Pickney, 47, of Opelousas, La., is charged with a misdemeanor count of inducing panic and a felony count of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit after police found a loaded pistol in his truck after they determined the one he pointed out of the window was an air rifle.
Pickney, who was free on bond before Tuesday’s arraignment hearing, asked for more time to prepare for a preliminary hearing on both charges.
About 10 township police officers responded to the Shops at Boardman Park Dec. 24 after multiple 911 calls reported that a man was sitting in a truck near Old Navy, pointing a rifle at people.
Officers surrounded Pickney’s truck at gunpoint and found the rifle sitting on his lap. Pickney told police he had just purchased the air rifle at Dick’s Sporting Goods, across the street from the shopping plaza.
Pickney told police he was assembling the rifle while he waited for his girlfriend to shop. He said they were in town from Louisiana to visit family.
Read the complete stopry in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.