A man armed with a gun was arrested by deputies responding to a Fourth of July palm tree fire in Highland, authorities said Friday.
Deputies were sent to an apartment complex on the 7400 block of Elm Street to assist firefighters with the blaze around 8:35 p.m. Thursday, San Bernardino County sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
The fire spread to multiple trees and cars in the area before it was put out, and one person suffering a medical emergency was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to Cal Fire.
While deputies were helping with crowd control, someone told them Jeff Michael Reeder, a 41-year-old Redlands resident, had been brandishing a handgun at people.
The deputies went to talk with Reeder, and the gunman got into a fight with them, officials said.
Reeder’s accused of assaulting a deputy, then reaching for the loaded firearm in his waistband. A second deputy was able to grab the handgun and disarm him, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Reeder was able to break away from the deputies and ran but was apprehended after a short foot chase through the apartment complex, authorities said.
He was subsequently booked on suspicion of resisting and assaulting an officer.
Inmate records show the man is also wanted on a warrant out of Los Angeles County for allegedly driving with weed in the car.
Reeder was being held on $50,000 bail at the West Valley Detention Center and scheduled to appear in court July 9.