Louisiana man pleads not guilty to inducing panic at Boardman Shops
BOARDMAN
A Louisiana man charged with inducing panic after he pointed an air rifle out of his truck at the Shops at Boardman Park last Wednesay 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 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.
Police noticed the pistol in his truck after he exited the vehicle.
Boardman Police Chief Jack Nichols said officers did the right thing for that situation.
“If they’re put in a situation where they feel their life is in danger ... or they’re in danger of great bodily harm, they’re authorized to take whatever action is necessary, up to and including deadly force,” he said. “They certainly displayed a great deal of restraint in the situation; I have to commend them for that.”
To avoid similar situations, air-rifle owners should be aware of how the guns might appear to others, Nichols said.
“The basic rule for any gun is don’t point at anything if you’re not willing to shoot. Number two, people need to be aware of how their actions might be perceived by other people and police,” he said. “It basically boils down to a matter of common sense.”
“Certainly you would need to be careful with your actions. You can create quite a panic, like this guy did,” Nichols said.
Pickney is scheduled to be back in Mahoning County Area Court here Feb. 17. Judge Joseph Houser ruled that the bond Pickney previously posted will be continued.
Court records indicate that Pickney was charged with manslaughter in 2011 in the death of his wife, but that the charge later was dropped.