A Coyle, Okla. man was arrested Friday after being accused of pointing a gun at someone – and firing a shot into the air – during a dispute over parking in Ark City.
49-year-old Jayson Gibson was booked into the Cowley County Jail on charges of aggravated assault, criminal threat and criminal discharge of a firearm. He was booked into jail around 5 p.m. Friday and posted a $23,000 bond, and was released, Saturday morning.
Ark City Police officers were dispatched to the 3400 block of N. Summit for a disturbance involving a firearm. They arrived and learned a suspect had already left the scene.
An investigation determined the incident began as a verbal altercation between the suspect, later identified as Gibson, and the alleged victim over a parking spot. Witness accounts indicated that Gibson initially left the scene on foot to run an errand but later returned, according to a written statement from police.
The incident was said to have occurred in an area directly behind the N. Summit Casey’s where semi trucks regularly park.
Upon Gibson’s return, the dispute escalated, and Gibson is said to have retrieved a firearm from his vehicle. He pointed the firearm at the victim and subsequently discharged the weapon into the air. No injuries were reported.
Following the discharge of the firearm, the verbal altercation continued briefly before Gibson got into his vehicle and left the area.
Officers later contacted Gibson, who voluntarily returned to Arkansas City to meet with law enforcement. During the investigation, Gibson cooperated with officers and was taken into custody without incident. His firearm was also collected as evidence.
