Homeless man arrested after allegedly firing pellet gun in San Luis Obispo park

June 26, 2024

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

San Luis Obispo police officers arrested a homeless man who allegedly waved and fired a pellet gun at Laguna Lake Park on Tuesday.

Shortly before 5 p.m., a community member called 911 to report that a man was waiving what appeared to be a firearm near the boat ramp at Laguna Lake Park. Officers arrived at the scene, located the suspect and set up observation and containment at a safe distance around him, according to the police department.

Police could see the suspect holding what appeared to be a firearm in his hand. Authorities evacuated people from the park to a nearby parking lot on Madonna Road.

Officers contacted the suspect, 40-year-old James Michael Taylor, a transient living in San Luis Obispo. Taylor cooperated, and officers took him into custody without further incident. 

Police searched Taylor and his belongings and found him in possession of a pellet gun that resembled a handgun. Taylor also had a stun gun and a shuriken, or throwing star. 

Officers arrested Taylor on a felony charge of possession of a shuriken and misdemeanor counts of convicted felon in possession of a stun gun and discharge of a dangerous weapon. Authorities booked Taylor in San Luis Obispo County Jail, where he currently remains with his bail set at $20,000.

 


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When he gets out, I hope he gets his pellet gun back. I’ll give him a couple of bucks to get the gophers in my yard.


Actually, the pellet-gun perp was waving at innocent park goers- kids, hikers. How are they able to distinguish the gun as pellet or real bullets? The fellow is fortunate that the squad did not shoot him.


I thought pellet guns were legal in public. They are not firearms.


Seems like the tools of rape and robbery. Does he even stay in jail for a day?


There was a time when that would have been the dream arsenal of any elementary school kid!


Yep, I had a Sheridan.


We would make those throwing stars in metal shop at Arroyo Grande Highschool in the 1970’s. Nobody cared. Nobody got hurt either. They stuck pretty good to the ceilings.


what happened to :Shall not be infringed”?


Brandishing a pellet gun in public is not very smart. Possession of expensive toys (even if illegal) demonstrates how the homeless are not as destitute as portrayed by the MSM.


HOW did this turn into an MSM diatribe? REALLY? You don’t know anything about him yet it’s a MSM bad portrayal. That’s just sad. He could have found it, stole it, Has mental issues and can’t live inside but, It’s a Means tested situation. Nice.


If he has nothing to take they will just let him out. The only people who get real punishment anymore are people that have some money or other possessions to take or put liens on property, licenses registration tax refunds etc.


I’m not even sure that what he did is a crime anymore??? He will be out soon, and most likely never do anything like this again…he doesn’t seem to play well with others, but it’s fine…we can lock him up after he does something really bad, as that is what we live with now.