A Bowling Green man has been cited for discharging a firearm in the city.
On Dec. 30 at approximately 11:38 p.m., Bowling Green police were dispatched to an argument in the 800 block of Fourth Street. While en route, dispatched advised of reported gunshots near the 600 block of Fourth Street.
The officer turned onto Fourth Street from South College Drive and observed a vehicle stopped in the 600 block of Fourth Street. The officer spoke with two females walking away on the sidewalk and one told police her boyfriend was in the vehicle, and they had been arguing.
The officer followed the vehicle, which turned around, drove back eastbound on Fourth Street, northbound on Elm Street then into a parking lot.
The operator of the vehicle, a 41-year-old man, was approaching the cruiser and reportedly said he had been arguing with his girlfriend. He told the officer there was another person in the vehicle.
The passenger was identified as Richard Torres III. He said he did not have any weapons and refused to get out of the car.
He eventually complied with orders to get out of the car and a patdown uncovered a cell phone and a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9 mm.
The firearm was found to have an eight-round magazine. There was one 9 mm Luger round in the chamber and seven rounds in the magazine. Police located a spent 9mm Luger shell casing in the 600 block of Fourth Street near Elm Street.
Torres reportedly said he did walk down the sidewalk and fired the gun into the air, but he never pointed it at anyone and immediately after doing it he knew it was a mistake.
Torres, 21, was charged with discharging a firearm in city limits. He was later cited for improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.
