A Rapid City man was arrested this afternoon after police responded to a report of a man brandishing a handgun in a residential neighborhood, an incident that prompted precautionary security measures at two nearby elementary schools.
According to police, officers were dispatched around 1:15 p.m. April 28 to the 200 block of Knollwood Drive after a caller reported seeing a male subject with a handgun and expressed concern that he was about to shoot someone. The report led to a large law enforcement response in the area.
As a precaution, Knollwood Elementary School and General Beadle Elementary School were placed into secure status while officers investigated.
When police arrived, they located the suspect, who fled on foot. Officers observed the man attempting to discard the firearm by throwing it onto a nearby roof before he was taken into custody.
The suspect was identified as 27‑year‑old Ziad Belhage of Rapid City. Investigators determined Belhage is on federal probation and has a prior felony drug conviction, which prohibits him from possessing firearms.
The firearm was recovered and later determined to have been stolen during a vehicle burglary in Rapid City in February, police said.
Belhage was arrested and charged with Receiving Stolen Property and Possession of a Firearm With a Felony Drug Conviction. He was transported to the Pennington County Jail, where formal charging proceedings are pending.
No injuries were reported, and the schools were returned to normal operations after the situation was resolved.
Comments