So, they thought he had a gun, SWAT response

[CaféAuLait]

Maine man with gun tattoo leads to heavy police response

NORRIDGEWOCK — Michael Smith went outside shirtless after being awakened Tuesday morning, yelling at a tree removal company to get off his property.

The workers thought they saw a gun in his waistband and called police.

Smith, who’d gone back to bed, was awakened again minutes later — this time by Maine State Police at his front door, backed up by a group of troopers with assault rifles in his driveway. They were asking him via a megaphone to come out of his house.
.

“Obviously it was a misunderstanding and he didn’t have a weapon, but we had to respond to the initial report as if he did,” Maine State Police Trooper Scott Duff said. “We take all precautions when we don’t have the details.”

Maine man's "gun" tattoo leads to encounter with police - CBS News

Norridgewock man with gun tattoo wakes up to armed police | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

Leaming CLOSE CALL: Norridgewock resident Michael Smith stands beside a Somerset County sheriff’s deputy Tuesday morning. The tattoo of a pistol on his stomach was mistaken for a real firearm by employees of Lucas Tree Experts after, according to Smith, workers woke him up while they were cutting wood for Central Maine Power Co. The workers called police

Leaming ARMED: Trooper Scott Duff points his rifle toward the home of Michael Smith on Tuesday morning as other police call for Smith to come out of the home in Norridgewock. Tree workers called police earlier after they mistook a pistol tattoo on Smith’s stomach for a real firearm

So these guys who called police were not even sure what he was saying and they were not even sure if he had a gun, and a SWAT team arrives? I don't know what to think of this. This guy has some crazy tattoo and ends up with a large police presence surrounding his home.

His fault because he choose that tattoo?

Or a possible over reaction?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

2nd Amendment rights my ass. SWAT shows up cause someone THOUGHT they saw a firearm. Last I checked one can have firearms in ones own property. Obviously he did not wave his Tattoo around so all they saw was what looked like a firearm at his belt.

And people like Jones claim our rights are not in danger.

 

[TemplarKormac]

Well geez, what a waste of taxpayer money.

 

[Politico]

Seriously. No one with a brain would think that was a gun.