Man-with-Gun Call Leads to Man Under Arrest

Feb. 18, 2009 — Visalia Police officers responded to a call in the Douglas and Ben Maddox area of the city on the afternoon of February 17, when a resident reported a man with a gun, according to the Visalia Police Department.

The caller had provided a description to the police that was good enough to direct them to Robert Eric James Crawford, 18, of 1615 E. Monte Vista in Visalia, who was in the area, according to a Visalia Police report. Crawford wasn’t keen to talk to the police, however and fled the area on foot, leading officers on a short chase.

That short chase ended with Crawford in custody. The police reportedly found a .357 revolver in Crawford’s possession. That revolver, it turned out, had been reported stolen from Fresno, according to Visalia Police reports.

Crawford was charged with negligent discharge of a firearm, possession of a loaded weapon and possession of stolen property. He was booked into the Tulare County Jail.