Two Men Arrested in Great Barrington After Allegedly Showing Gun To Store Clerk

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Two men were arrested Tuesday night after allegedly brandishing a gun to a convenience store clerk.

 

Police say Nathan Bona, 20, of Southfield is being charged with three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit a crime, and operating under the influence. Austin Whitney, 22, of Great Barrington is being charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.

 

At about 10 p.m. Tuesday night, police were called to Lake Mansfield for reports of shots fired. There, officers were told that two men, driving a pickup truck, had fired a handgun several times in the parking lot, striking a storage shed.

 

Police say minutes later a clerk at Cumberland Farms on Main Street reported that two men, also in a pickup truck, were causing a disturbance. When the clerk allegedly confronted the pair, one of them lifted his shirt to display the firearm. The men then fled the scene.

 

Officers located the suspected pickup truck and the pair were arrested. The firearm as not found, however, and police are actively looking for it. Police believe the suspects discarded it after the incident.

 

Great Barrington Police Sgt. Adam Carlotto and Officer Christopher Peebles are leading the investigation. Bona and Whitney were released on personal recognizance by a clerk magistrate Wednesday morning and are expected to be arraigned in Southern Berkshire District Court on Thursday.

 

"This is a great example if why it is important to call the police immediately when you see something suspicious. In this instance, we have two suspects who were being irresponsible with a firearm, and we were able to locate them within minutes of the first call," Chief William Walsh said. "Thankfully, citizens called the police and we were able to arrest the suspects before an innocent person was hurt as a result of their wanton and reckless conduct."