CCW parking permit

**TheeBadOne** · 12-20-07, 10:15 AM

Shoppers fight over parking spot

Handgun flashed, threats made

By Shaun Byron
Journal Register News Service

TROY -- 'Tis the season to be jolly apparently took a back seat to a fight over a parking space at Somerset Collection, with one party making a threat with his handgun.Troy police say just before 6 p.m. Saturday, a 29-year-old man from Westland driving a Dodge minivan allegedly pulled into a parking space another motorist driving a Ford Taurus was waiting for.

The other motorist, a 39-year-old man from Southfield, got out of his car and approached the driver's side of the van, Troy police Lt. Gerry Scherlinck said.
Words were exchanged between the two men, and the argument became physical, involving a man and woman who were passengers in the van and a woman riding in the Taurus.
"That is where the stories kind of started to conflict in terms of who pushed who," Scherlinck said.
Mall security spotted the fight and immediately called 911. Officers arrived and tried to calm both groups.
At some point during the fight, it's alleged the Southfield man pulled out a handgun and made threats.
The Southfield man showed officers he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but denied flashing his gun, explaining he only pulled his coat up to show he was armed after being simultaneously punched by the man driving the van and his male passenger.
A witness told officers they did see a fight between the two groups of people, but didn't see anyone flaunt a gun.
None of the people wanted to pursue charges and they were allowed to go on their way.
Scherlinck said this time of year sometimes produces hot tempers as people are in a hurry.
"A classic move in these types of cases is where someone parks in a spot and returns to find their car has been keyed or damaged," he said. "We get at least one of those every season."
Had officers not been able to calm the people involved, they would have most certainly gone to jail for disorderly conduct, Scherlinck said.
"Sometimes the reality check of police showing up snaps them back to normal judgment mode," he said. "Then there are other people that can't take no for an answer and can't seem to feel reasonably, especially if they feel someone has violated some kind of right."
What was most disturbing to the officers is that both vehicles also contained small children, Scherlinck said.
"It definitely takes the atmosphere out of the season," he said.