Columbia man accused of pointing gun at 2 minors

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 20-year-old man was arrested in east Columbia on Wednesday after authorities claimed he pointed a gun at two minors last month.

Lee Jones III, of Columbia, was charged on Thursday in Boone County with unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and an initial court appearance was held on Thursday.

The probable cause statement says a SWAT team was used to serve a search warrant to Jones at his residence on Wednesday. Police spoke to the alleged victims on Dec. 11, where they claimed Jones pulled out a gun and pointed it at them on Nov. 23 after one of the victims allegedly told him to leave, court documents say.

One of the victims gave police a video, that allegedly showed one of the victims arguing with Jones about a vape product, the statement says. Jones then allegedly pointed a gun in the air before pointing it at the victim, police wrote in the statement. Victims reported seeing a laser from the gun through a peephole of the door, the statement says.

After Jones was detained, he admitted to being in the video when police presented it, the statement says. Jones allegedly told police that he did not think the victim was being serious when she told him to leave the residence until she picked up a knife, the statement says.

Jones allegedly told police that he went outside to wait for an Uber, but then started to get angry about the situation, the statement claims.

Court documents claim Jones told police that he pointed the gun at the victim “because she was taking a video of him and that he ‘played it off for the video.’”