Man arrested for attempting ‘target practice’ at Darien park
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DARIEN, CT (WFSB) — A man was arrested for carrying what appeared to a rifle into a park for target practice in Darien.
Peter McMaster, 20, was charged with interfering with an officer and violation of a town ordinance.
Police said they received a report around noon on Wednesday of a man at Woodland Park in the Hazel Street area carrying a firearm.
Officers entered the park and found McMaster.
They said he initially complied with orders to place the rifle on the ground. However, he then picked it up and fled further into the woods.
Police said they searched for about 10 minutes before they found him in a wooded area near a Colony Road property.
They detained him and realized he was unarmed.
McMaster was uncooperative and refused to tell officers where he put the rifle, police said.
Officers and a state police K9 unit searched the park and found it an hour later.
They determined it was an air rifle.
McMaster told police that he went into the park for target practice. He did have a paper target in his possession, they said.
It is against town regulations to carry or possess firearms in a park, police said.
McMaster is due in court on Jan. 20.
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