Derby police arrested two men and recovered a gun and a machete after a tense few minutes downtown Thursday.
No injuries were reported.
Police received several 911 calls at about 3:15 p.m. from people who said a man waving a machete was running down Fifth Street toward the Derby Green on Elizabeth Street.
At roughly the same time, police received a report of a man with a gun on nearby Anson Street.
Derby police flooded the area and quickly detained a man on the Derby Green, along with a machete.
Cops identified the man as Esteban Gonzalez, 37, of Minserva Street.
“The investigation immediately revealed that an altercation occurred on Anson Street between Gonzalez and a black male, the latter of which had a gun,” Lt. Justin Stanko said in a prepared statement.
Patrol officers and detectives detained a man on Anson Street identified as Lamar Copeland, 19.
Copeland did not have a gun on him, Stanko’s statement said, but witnesses said they saw him run into his apartment just before cops got on scene.
“Detectives responded to Copeland’s apartment and located a 9 mm handgun,” the statement said.
“Subsequent investigation revealed that Copeland and Gonzalez had a verbal altercation on Anson Street in which Copeland threatened that he had a gun,” Stanko’s statement said. “Gonzalez returned to his Minerva Street residence, retrieved the machete, and returned to Anson Street to confront Copeland. While en route to Anson Street, Gonzalez saw Copeland coming towards him at which time the latter brandished the firearm.”
The incident happened as school buses pulled up to drop off students.
Copeland was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, carrying a pistol without a permit, breach of peace, threatening, reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, criminal mischief, and risk of injury. He was held on a $100,000 bond.
Gonzalez was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, breach of peace, threatening, and reckless endangerment. He was held on a $50,000 bond.
Both men are expected to be arraigned at Superior Court in Derby Friday, Stanko’s statement said.
