Jefferson City man charged after allegedly shooting gun outside apartment

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man was arrested and charged after he allegedly fired a gun early Sunday morning.

William Freeman, 39, is charged with unlawful gun possession, armed-criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held in the Cole County Jail without bond. An arraignment is set for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Cole County Circuit Court.

Jefferson City police responded to a shots-fired call at 3:19 a.m. Sunday in the 2300 block of Gray Fox Drive. Police did not find evidence of a crime being committed at the time, according to the probable cause statement.

Before 9 a.m., the property manager gave police video footage as well as possible suspect information, according to the probable cause statement. The video allegedly showed Freeman in the road with a group of unknown individuals and fired a gun once in the air, the statement says.

A couple of hours later, police attempted to contact Freeman at his residence. Police gave commands for him to exit, and Freeman allegedly refused, the statement says.

Freeman allegedly told police he shot a “firework” into the air, describing it as a “pop-gun,” according to the probable cause statement. He allegedly gave consent to allow police to search his residence. Police did not find the pop-gun, but they found a pistol within the residence, according to the statement.

Freeman is a convicted felon and is not allowed to have a gun.