Crime & Safety
Man Arrested After Firing Replica Machine Gun in Shelby Township
Suspects were firing compressed gas from the gun on Erma Street Thursday night, police say.
A group of men were found driving an antique WWII-era military vehicle on Erma Street in Shelby Township Thursday night, firing at people with a mounted replica .50 caliber heavy machine gun, police say.
According to a report, Shelby Township police received several 911 calls from residents around 11 p.m.
When they arrived at the scene, with backup from Sterling Heights and Utica police, they found that the gun had been modified to fire compressed gas, which emitted a bright flash accompanied with loud realistic gunfire sounds.
"After last night’s incident, I wonder if we need access to the U.S. National Guard, in addition to assistance from multiple neighboring police departments, to regulate the state’s fireworks laws. Unbelievable," said Shelby Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis in a statement.
The three men were detained and one of them was arrested, police say.
There were no injuries, according to police.
Follow Patch for more information on this story.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
