Bend man arrested, accused of pulling gun, menacing teenagers in downtown parking garage dispute

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) --- A 67-year-old Bend man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after police said he pulled a handgun and menaced a group of teenagers during a dispute in the city's downtown parking garage.

Bend Police officers responded to a report of a weapons violation at the city-owned Centennial Parking Garage, located at 61 NW Oregon Avenue, around 4:16 p.m.

Police say the confrontation began after William Carl Hardt yelled at teenagers who were driving a large diesel pickup truck through the five-story parking structure.

According to Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller, Hardt confronted the group of teenagers for speeding inside the facility.

After Hardt and the teenagers exchanged words, the teens reported that Hardt removed a handgun from a bag and menaced them with it. The confrontation occurred on the ramp to the top level of the garage.

Officers arrested Hardt by citation on suspicion of menacing, a Class A misdemeanor. He was not taken to jail. The 17-year-old male legally driving the pickup, accompanied by two passengers, was not cited, Miller said.

During a consent search of Hardt's vehicle, officers found and seized the handgun. The incident resulted in a large police presence at the parking garage for about an hour while officers conducted their investigation.

Miller told KTVZ News that it's fairly common to get complaints of poor driving behavior in the city's parking garage.

"I would say that we see a lot of calls of people 'burning out,' revving their engines, driving quickly through the parking lot," she said.

In Oregon, menacing is a Class A misdemeanor with a potential maximum punishment of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $6,250, If a charge is upgraded to unlawful use of a weapon, it's a Class C felony with stiffer potential punishment.

Oregon court records show Hardt has no criminal record in the state.