Man arrested after calling 911, threatening shooting at Monterey half marathon

"The incident began at 7:11 a.m. on Nov. 9, when the suspect called 911. He told the operator that he was trying to sleep and explained to dispatchers that there were protesters demonstrating on Del Monte Avenue. People frequently organize there for various rallies and events, Lt. Ethan Andrews told SFGATE. The suspect then said he was walking down Park Avenue with an assault rifle, an AR-15, and that he was "going to confront" protesters, according to Andrews."

"The start line for the annual 13.1-mile race, which draws thousands of participants and onlookers to downtown Monterey, was at Del Monte Avenue and Camino El Estero. Monterey police collaborated with the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, Pacific Grove police, the Monterey Fire Department and other agencies to secure and monitor the area. Race organizers were notified in real time of the threat, Andrews said, but the public was not informed until after the arrest."

"When the threat came in, Monterey police said it "redirected resources" to figure out who was calling and whether they were in the area. Andrews told SFGATE that officers were already near the location the caller had mentioned. "We already had a police officer in that area, and then we also had another officer that was about three blocks away," he said. Those officers checked for immediate threats and reported that there was neither a protest nor a person"

A 53-year-old man from out of the area called 911 at 7:11 a.m. on Nov. 9 and admitted making a threat to shoot people near the Monterey Bay Half Marathon. He told dispatchers he was walking with an AR-15 on Park Avenue and intended to confront protesters on Del Monte Avenue. Dispatch attempted a callback but received no answer. Monterey police redirected resources, officers already near the reported location checked for immediate threats and found none. Police coordinated with race organizers, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, Pacific Grove police, the Monterey Fire Department and other agencies. The suspect was arrested and the public was notified after the arrest.

Read at SFGATE