Novato Advance/Marinscope
Novato Police officers were dispatched to The Square Shopping Center, on Novato Boulevard last week on a report of a man in camouflage crouching behind a pickup truck pointing a crossbow at people.
The first officers to roll on the scene saw the man in the west end of the shopping center parking lot, near the gas station, holding what appeared to be an AR-15 style rifle.
While officers worked on evacuations, the man raised the rifle and pointed it in the direction of bystanders. Police diverted the gunman’s attention away from the community members and yelled for him to drop the weapon. The man immediately put down the rifle and followed officers’ orders. He was taken into custody without further incident.
The suspect was identified as Matthew Salopek, 61, of Novato. He was arrested and booked into the Marin County Jail on multiple charges, including brandishing an imitation firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
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