A 43-year-old man is in custody after throwing a loaded gun into the bushes near Bob Hart Square in Merced on Tuesday, according to the Merced Multi-Agency Task Force.
The law enforcement officers were patrolling in the area when they spotted a man walking with an open can of beer. When they tried talking to him, the man turned and starting walking away -- ignoring their orders.
He dropped his beer into a trash can and continued walking as the agents once again ordered him to stop.
According to the officers, the man reached into his waist area and pulled out a .38-caliber revolver, tossing it into a row of bushes. The task force agents drew their weapons and ordered the man to get on the ground.
He complied and was taken into custody without further incident.
The man was identified as Fletcher Beck of Merced. He was booked at the Merced County Jail on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon, owning a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm in public.
According to agents, they later learned that Beck is a validated Merced Gangster Crip (MGC) criminal street gang member and a convicted felon.
Beck is being held in lieu of $51,000 bail.
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