By ALIN HETT
Hays Post
A 20-year-old of Hays man was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly pointing a shotgun at three people walking in the 400 block of West Sixth Street in Hays.
Tim Greenwood, Hays deputy police chief, said the three people allegedly got into a verbal argument with a man near the road while they were out for a walk. The man allegedly went into a house and came back outside carrying a pump-action shotgun, Greenwood said. Greenwood said the suspect then allegedly racked and pointed the shotgun at the victims.
Greenwood said no shots were fired, and the three people scattered for cover when the gun was allegedly aimed at them. Greenwood also said the man went back inside, and neighbors called police.
Officers set up a containment perimeter and requested help from the department’s Special Situations Response Team. State troopers, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Hays State University Police also assisted.
Officers told people who came outside to return indoors and advised callers to shelter in place; police did not issue a broader alert, Greenwood said.
When police arrived on scene, they cleared the area and one person came out of the house unarmed and was taken into custody.
Investigators later identified this man who initially exited the house as Cauy Raymond Vance, the man who allegedly pointed the shotgun at the victims, Greenwood said. After everyone inside was accounted for, officers cleared the house and executed a warrant to recover the firearm.
Vance remained in custody while the investigation was conducted. He was arrested later that morning on requested charges of three counts of aggravated assault, one for each victim, Greenwood said.
The Special Situations Response Team was on scene for about three hours.
“The processes that we have in place for transferring from the patrol response to the tactical team response, EMS on standby, and the support from the other agencies, was really, really good,” Greenwood said. “It worked like a well-oiled machine.”