Gun tattoo mistaken for real weapon caused standoff with armed police

Michael Smith of Maine went outside shirtless after being awakened on Tuesday morning, yelling at a tree removal company to get off his property.The workers thought they saw a gun in his waistband and called police.

Smith, who’d gone back to bed, was woken again minutes later - this time by Maine State Police at his front door, backed up by a group of troopers with assault rifles in his driveway. They were asking him via a megaphone to come out of his house.



Smith did have a gun, but it was tattooed on his stomach. No charges will be filed against Smith, but police said they always take reports of a gun or threat seriously.

“Obviously it was a misunderstanding and he didn’t have a weapon, but we had to respond to the initial report as if he did,” Maine State Police Trooper Scott Duff said. “We take all precautions when we don’t have the details.”