A Ruston man was arrested late Saturday night after police investigated a report of a man brandishing a handgun in the area of South Farmerville Street and Texas Avenue.
Maurice Smith, 33, was arrested for illegal carrying of a weapon and several warrants after an officer saw he matched the description of the suspect.
Smith was asked what was in the bag he was carrying, and he said it was his wife’s gun. The officer retrieved the bag and located a fully loaded pistol. Smith was asked if he was a convicted felon or possessed a concealed carry permit. A records check showed that neither was the case.
Smith was arrested and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center. Several hours later, additional charges in the form of three bench warrants were added.
Smith had apparently failed to appear in court on charges of disturbing the peace, simple assault, and criminal trespass.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
