An off-duty police officer thought a man stole $1.17 Mentos, so he drew his gun

A man bought a pack of Mentos at an Orange County gas station, only to have an off-duty officer pull his pistol on him because he thought he stole the mints. The incident took place on March 16. Jose Arreola, 49, had already paid for the mints and slid them into his pocket. The officer behind saw him put the mints in his pocket and thought he had stolen it, so he produced his semiautomatic pistol, and in a quick action, pulled back the pistol slide to chamber a round, then ordered Arreola to drop the item back on the counter.”Give that back … police officer,” The officer yells as he points his gun at a stunned Arreola.For a moment, Arreola considered how he might die over a $1.19 pack of Mentos. He thought of his family and how his wife will become a widow. Visibly shaken, Arreola says several times: “Oh! I paid for this.”At one point, his face is stunned as he looks to the attendant for help. After holding his pistol out for eight seconds, the officer appears to put the pistol back into his pocket then warns:”Try stealing that again. Get your cash and leave.”As Arreola panics and steps out of the way, the officer asks the cashier, “Did he pay for this?” The cashier answers yes. The officer asks if he is sure and the cashier says yes again.The officer then tells Arreola: “My apologies, sir. My apologies.”Arreola is then seen collecting the rest of his change and quickly makes his way toward the exit. The incident took place more than 7 weeks ago, but the video only recently surfaced online.  Recounting the event later to the Orange County Register, Arreola envisioned how the next few moments could unfold.”I thought my wife could be a widow after tonight,” Arreola told the California newspaper about his encounter with the Buena Park police officer.Buena Park Police Chief Corey Sianez termed the encounter “disturbing”. It has already triggered an administrative investigation, Sianez said in a Facebook statement posted on Friday.Sianez adds: “I can definitely assure you that our investigation will be thorough, and if the officer is found to be in violation of any policies and procedures, he will be held accountable.”In the statement, Sianez says the video clearly shows the officer drawing his gun “but not pointing it” at Arreola. But in the video shared online, the officer appears to raise his weapon toward Arreola, then quickly lowers it for the rest of the encounter.Arreola has retained an attorney and seeks damages from the police department. He said the incident has left him shaken and he can’t get it out of his mind.Watch the video below. The post An off-duty police officer thought a man stole $1.17 Mentos, so he drew his gun appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.