Blank Gun Dropped; Suspect Held
A man was arrested Sunday at a George Bush campaign rally at Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills after he allegedly dropped a starter’s pistol that only shoots blanks, police said.
Lt. Joe Garcia at the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley station said John Arthur Junot, who at one point was standing 50 yards from Vice President Bush, was captured a short distance from where he dropped the pistol. Detectives said it was not immediately clear what Junot was doing with a starter’s pistol--used at track and field meets and other sports events--at the Bush rally. No shots were fired during the 1:15 p.m. incident.
Junot, 40, of Los Angeles, was held by the Secret Service on suspicion of violating a federal law making it unlawful for anyone to impede the orderly conduct of government business when it is under the protection of the Secret Service.
Witnesses told police that Junot tried to escape after he dropped the weapon when he apparently pulled it out of his waistband.
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