R&B singer Mario says police officers in Miami pointed their guns at him after finding him sitting in a vehicle with a handgun within reach.
The 33-year-old, whose full name is Mario Barrett, told Page Six he was in a friend’s car in Miami three months ago when his friend – who has a license to carry a concealed gun – got into an argument with another man.
“[My friend] pulled out a gun and so did the other guy, so I got out to defuse the situation,” recalled Mario. After the other man left the scene, the singer’s friend got back in his car. “He put his gun in the armrest, and then he went to this building to use the bathroom and left the gun.”
Someone who witnessed the altercation called 911 and police rushed to the scene.
“So I’m in the car; the gun’s right there,” said Mario. “Two cops came up to the car with their guns drawn, shouting. I forgot about the gun that was in the armrest, [so] when they asked me if there were any guns in the car, I said, ‘No there’s no guns in the car.’”
Officers noticed the handgun in the armrest and told Mario to put his hands up. As he started to explain, a female officer arrived and recognized him. “She told the guys to put their guns down,” he said.
The singer did not specify which police department was involved – there are more than a dozen police forces in the Miami area – so his story could not be confirmed. It is standard protocol for officers to draw their weapons when investigating anyone in possession of, or within reach of, a weapon.