A 43-year-old man in Florida has been arrested after allegedly pointing a handgun at a group of children who created a wake near his boat on Saturday. Christopher Evensen was operating his vessel along the Intracoastal Waterway off New Smyrna Beach when the incident occurred, according to local police.
Police said in a Facebook post that the children's wake made Evensen 'irate.' Witnesses reported that he pointed a gun at the juveniles and threatened to shoot them. Cellphone footage captured a man on a boat reaching for an object resembling a semi-automatic handgun, per a police report obtained by WSVN.
Witness Kevin Buchans told the outlet that Evensen yelled threats, including 'Come over here to the boat ramp, come park your boat, and I’ll kill all y’all.' Buchans added that shortly after the confrontation, Evensen offered him whiskey, leading Buchans to suggest he had been drinking.
Evensen was later found at a local home and arrested on five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon. He initially denied having a gun, then admitted to owning a firearm, though he claimed he did not have it at the time.
He was taken to Volusia County Branch Jail and later released after posting $25,500 bail. Evensen admitted to acting 'stupid' and shouting at the children but maintained that he never brandished a weapon.
