Police: Transient arrested for pointing flare gun at bystanders in Santa Rosa park

A Santa Rosa homeless man was arrested after pointing what turned out to be a flare gun at several people in Franklin Park Thursday afternoon, police said.

Police were called to Franklin Park at 3:25 p.m. for a report of a man holding what appeared to be a gun, and who seemed to have fired it at least once, the Santa Rosa Police Department said in a news release.

Upon arrival, officers saw Benjamin Smoody, 40, agitated, confrontational and appearing to be under the influence, walking through the park and pointing his weapon at bystanders, the department said. Officers quickly confronted him and ordered Smoody to drop the firearm, which he did. When officers retrieved the weapon, they realized it was a flare gun.

Smoody was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and disturbing the peace on school grounds, related to a previous incident that happened at a nearby preschool earlier, though no children were present at the time.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.