Man carrying air rifles draws police to Colorado Springs park Friday

A day after Colorado Springs police shot a man for exhibiting threatening behavior with a gun, officers faced another potential confrontation.

At around 10 a.m. Friday, police began receiving reports of a man carrying two rifles — one with a scope — under the bridge at Interstate 25 and Uintah Street.

Officers quickly found the man walking through nearby Monument Valley Park, which is adjacent to the campus of Colorado College.

The situation alarmed a large number of people who were enjoying activities in the park, and came a day after a man shot and critically injured a Colorado Springs policeman during a report of gunfire on a public street.

Sgt. Jim Jeffcoat said officers pointed their guns at the man in the park and ordered him to drop his rifles.

The rifles were actually air rifles and posed no danger to anyone, Jeffcoat said.

“He said he was taking them to sell at a pawn shop,” Jeffcoat said. “He didn’t realize the effect his actions were having. We gave him a ride to the pawn shop to avoid further trouble.”

Jeffcoat said the man, whose name wasn’t released, was legally within his rights to carry the air rifles because he wasn’t pointing them at anyone or otherwise posing a threat.

The situation left one witness, Tom Music, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Regular guy just out for a stroll with a gun over his shoulder,” Music said. “It was weird. Super weird.”