A senior Navy official has been charged with brandishing a gun at a group of men he reportedly accused of being drunk and noisy at a neighbor's party.
Karnig Ohannessian, who was named a deputy assistant Navy secretary in January, faces three misdemeanor counts after the June 11 confrontation, which was recorded on a cellphone video obtained by CBS News, police said.
The video shows a man pointing a gun at people and telling them to leave the area outside his home in Burke. A magistrate determined Ohannessian's arrest last month lacked probable cause, but on Tuesday, police said they took their case to the chief magistrate, who determined that charges were warranted.
“Get in the car,” he repeatedly shouts.
Someone can be heard saying, "You’re pointing a gun at my friend. This is a criminal offense. So, please stop it.”
During the confrontation, a middle-aged woman standing near the man with the gun uses a cellphone and appears to try to calm the man.
"Let them leave," she says.
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“I can shoot the f--- out of you guys right now,” the man with the gun shouts.
Police said they received three 911 calls about the incident and responded about 8:15 p.m. for a report of a man brandishing a gun. The alleged victims were gone by the time police arrived.
As the investigation was underway two days later, a 24-year-old man went to the West Springfield District Police station and filed a report about the incident.
Ohannessian's biography on the Navy's website states that he is a principal policy adviser to the assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment and the recipient of two Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Awards.
In a statement, Rear Adm. Dawn Cutler, Navy Chief of Information, said officials are aware of the incident and video. "Mr. Ohannessian's supervisor is taking the appropriate action, to include working to understand the full details of what occurred."
Ohannessian did not return a call from the Associated Press seeking comment Tuesday.
