Report of man with rifle snarls traffic in central Fresno... it was a pellet gun

A report of a man sitting in a chair drinking alcohol and holding what appeared to be a rifle sent more than a half-dozen police speeding to the area of Shields and Blackstone avenues Friday afternoon, snarling westbound traffic in an already constricted construction zone. But Lt. Rob Beckwith said the rifle turned out to be a pellet gun.

The incident took place about 2 p.m. on the south side of Shields near Glenn Avenue. The street is in the midst of a major overhaul as left-turn lanes are added. Beckwith said he did not know what charges the man might face but police were checking to confirm that he had several traffic-related violations.

This story was originally published January 12, 2018 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Report of man with rifle snarls traffic in central Fresno... it was a pellet gun."