SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Springfield man was arrested in connection to making a scene at a gas station where he threatened people with an AR-15 in his pants.
Ethan M. Jones, 21, of Springfield, is charged with two felonies after the gas station incident:
- Unlawful use of a weapon.
- Armed criminal action.
According to court documents, Springfield Police Department officers were called to a North National Avenue gas station around 2 a.m. on April 6 to respond to a man threatening people with a rifle. Officers asked the gas station employees to lock the front door to protect themselves until they arrived.
When they arrived, officers observed two men standing outside of the gas station and saw that they were armed. The men were detained and one of the men was identified as Jones. Underneath Jones’ shirt, an officer found an American Tactical AR-15-style pistol tucked into his waistband.
A witness said they saw Jones walk into the store with two other males and a female. The group was arguing. At one point, the witness saw Jones lift the front of his shirt and say to the female that he was going to kill her.
The witness said Jones was asked to leave the store and that Jones was arguing, yelling and out of control.
Another witness said they heard Jones say, “I’m not the one to mess with” as he displayed his weapon.
Officers acquired security footage that showed the group entering the store at 1:54 a.m. The footage corroborated the witnesses’ accounts.
Jones was being held at the Greene County Jail on a $15,000 bond at the time of this writing. He is scheduled to have a criminal setting at 1:30 p.m. on April 10. He pleaded not guilty this morning, April 7.
