Man carrying airsoft gun stops traffic on Highway 101 in Santa Rosa

A disheveled man carrying an airsoft gun along the shoulder of Highway 101 in Santa Rosa on Friday afternoon was cited for a misdemeanor and released because he wasn’t threatening anyone, the CHP said.

Callers reported a man waving a handgun about 3:41 p.m., prompting a response by a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy and two CHP officers, Sgt. Robert Boyer said.

Freeway traffic was blocked in both directions as the officers stopped at a distance and ordered the man to drop the handgun. He complied and was handcuffed without resistance, Boyer said.

The man had been walking along the right shoulder on the southbound side of the freeway north of Todd Road, carrying his belongings and what turned out to be an airsoft handgun, Boyer said.

The airsoft gun was silver and designed to resemble a semiautomatic handgun similar to what law enforcement officers carry. It did not have an orange tip denoting it was not a real gun, Boyer said.

The handgun was confiscated and the man, described as dirty and disheveled and in his 50s, was determined to have no mental health issues. “He just made a bad choice,” Boyer said.

Traffic was stopped for five minutes but caused a lengthy backup, he said.

The man’s name was not listed on the CHP log, Boyer said.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.