UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — A man was arrested after he brandished a handgun at a Schnucks employee on Monday, the University City Police Department said.
The man, identified as Jessie Garrett of St. Louis, is facing unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon charges, police said.
Garrett was attempting to use the store's self-checkout when a store employee attempted to redirect him to a different lane because he had more than 10 items. The store instituted a 10-items-or-less policy at its self-checkouts at the start of February.
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Garrett, when being redirected, lifted his shirt and displayed a handgun in his waistband, police said.
Officers responded to the scene and arrested Garrett, court records said. Garrett allegedly told police that he didn't have a gun, but officers found a loaded 9mm pistol behind a box of candy on a nearby shelf.
Garrett told officers that he displayed the gun to the employee "playfully," but then hid the gun when officers showed up because he was scared, police said. Garrett also admitted that he is a convicted felon and is not legally allowed to have a gun. Court documents said Garrett was previously charged on 10 counts of abuse of a child in 1984.
The court set Garrett's bond at $30,000.
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