By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
A Salina man was cited after he allegedly made hostile demonstrations with a weapon at two locations in the city in a matter of minutes.
The first incident occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m. Tuesday on the north side of the Salina Police Department where an officer was preparing her vehicle for her shift, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning.
While the officer was preparing her vehicle along W. Elm Street, a silver Toyota Corolla drove westbound on W. Elm Street. As the vehicle passed the officer, the driver activated what appeared to be a taser-like device, Forrester said. The officer could see arcing between two posts on what appeared to be a cellphone case.
When the car reached N. 11th Street, it turned around and drove past the officer again. The driver again caused the device to arc so that the officer could see it, Forrester said.
A few minutes later, an employee of 1st Choice Security at Salina Regional Health Center, 400 S. Santa Fe Avenue, reported the same car driving by northbound on S. Santa Fe Avenue. The vehicle made a u-turn in front of the hospital and headed southbound. Shortly after, the car again drove northbound past Salina Regional. Again, the driver activated the taser device.
The security guard saw the car stop at the stop light at South Street. The driver appeared to brandish the taser device at another driver, Forrester said. A short time later, the car headed southbound on S. Santa Fe Avenue, and the driver appeared to brandish the taser device at the security guard and a hospital employee in the crosswalk.
Forrester said the security guard was able to get the license plate number from the car. Police traced the vehicle to a residence in the 1300 block of Springfield Street in southwest Salina. There they made contact with Sean Talbot, 37, of Salina. The conducted energy weapon he allegedly brandished was a cellphone case made to work like a taser, Forrester said.
Talbot was cited for two counts of hostile demonstration with a weapon, Forrester said.