A 64-year-old man from Pennsylvania, USA was charged for disorderly conduct because he pointed his finger at his girlfriend’s neighbour during an argument and the neighbour felt “extremely threatened”.
The “finger gun” incident happened in June 2018 and a bystander who was equally frightened called the police, thinking Stephen Kirchner had a real gun and was going to cause mayhem.
“And he pointed his finger out like he was going to shoot somebody. So I went and called the cops cause you just don’t know nowadays,” said the bystander who called the police.
He was walking with his girlfriend on a street in Manor Township, Pennsylvania when the argument ensued after his lover had obtained a no-contact order against one of her neighbours.
When the matter got to the police station, Kirchner admitted to pointing his “finger gun” at the “extremely threatened” neighbour.
A CCTV footage also shows Kirchner had indeed done the imaginary shooting.
According to Odditycentral.com, a County Judge Howard F. Knisely ruled last year that Kirchner’s finger that he pointed at his neighbour out of anger “created a hazardous condition.”
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However, he appealed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court challenging the earlier ruling.
To his surprise again, the Superior Court panel upheld the lower court’s ruling, saying the fact that Kirchner’s conduct could compel a bystander to call the police, it must have been intimidating.
The Superior Court consequently ordered him to pay a $100 fine and court costs.
Speaking to newsmen, Kirchner said: “I’m 64 years old, never had of anything, not even a traffic ticket.”
His girlfriend, Elaine Keeno on whose behalf he was arguing with the neighbour added: “The bar has now been lowered for what constitutes disorderly conduct.”
Well, inasmuch as it beats one’s imagination, it is understandable in the sense that the world has become so chaotic that you cannot predict what could befall you upon the least provocation of your neighbour.