Cops: Man pointed gun at people

Daniel Arnot, 44, is charged with four counts of aggravated assault at Port Charlotte Beach, reports show

STAFF REPORT

PORT CHARLOTTE — A Port Charlotte man is facing felony assault charges after he reportedly pointed a pistol at four people Saturday at the Port Charlotte Beach. Daniel Arnot, 44, of 4508 Bellfountain St., Port Charlotte, was arrested and charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to reports released Monday.

Deputies were sent to the beach at 4500 Harbor Blvd., at 7:18 p.m. Saturday for a report of a man with a gun.

Officers “immediately” found Arnot near the boat ramp and detained him during their investigation, reports state.

They also took a black semi-auto Springfield Echelon 9mm pistol that Arnot had.

Deputies talked to several people. Four said Arnot pointed a gun at them.

One man, who was there with his family, said Arnot approached his family with a dog, and the man picked up a knife in its sheath.

“Arnot immediately pulled a firearm out of his small shoulder bag and became verbally aggressive and displayed a firearm and this action placed him and his family in fear,” the report states.

He also began yelling. Other men said Arnot approached them with the pistol.

One said he pointed the gun “and pulled the trigger and it clicked once then the magazine fell out of the gun,” the report states.

The man said he heard the pistol “dry fire” when Arnot pulled the trigger.

“Arnot put the magazine back into the gun and pulled the slide back and a round fell out of the slide. He immediately ran from the scene,” the report states.

A woman said she was livestreaming on TikTok “when she witnessed Arnot armed

More GUN | B2

Arnot

from B1

with a firearm,” the reports stats.

The woman said “she was in fear and tried to de-escalate Arnot by nicely telling him his dog was in the water. However, Arnot was acting aggressive and yelling at victims. She left the area and waited for law enforcement to arrive to provide a statement and livestream video.”

Deputies took Arnot to the CCSO District 3 office on Loveland Boulevard. He tried to run out of the district’s interview room and resisted being handcuffed, deputies reported.

He was additionally charged with resisting officers without violence and booked into the Charlotte County Jail. He remained in jail Monday with a bond set at $31,000.