Pistol Fired, 2 Arrested

A couple of gunshots heard by a Salina Police officer leads to the arrest of a man and woman Monday afternoon.

Police Captain Paul Forrester tells KSAL News that an officer was assisting a city inspector in the 1100 block of N. 5th Street Monday around 3:30pm when he heard two distinct gun shots fired close by in the neighborhood. Moments later he saw a van speeding away and followed the vehicle to the parking lot of the Starlight Motel located at 221 E. Pacific.

A man and woman in the van told the officer they were staying in Room 105  – the group then observed a male across the parking lot knocking on the door to 105.

The male told officers he was trying to get some of his property back, when the sound of breaking glass was heard from inside.

An unidentified male ran away from the rear of the motel with a shotgun. Police used a K-9 officer to track the suspect, but only found the Beretta shotgun hidden in the brush of a vacant lot between 3rd and 4th Streets.

After further investigation, 19-year-old Tyler O’Clair and 22-year-old Kaytlan Tanner were arrested on gun related charges after officers found two, 9mm shell casings on Hamilton Street between 4th and 5th.

A Taurus 9mm pistol was found in the van. Both Tanner and O’Clair allegedly admitted to firing the semi-automatic pistol.

Both are facing penalties for criminal discharge of a firearm while O’Clair could will be charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a felon after being convicted of a felony crime in Indiana.

No damage was found in the area around Hamilton Street and no one was injured.