SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A San Carlos man arrested for firing shots at neighborhood animals while drunk was ordered to turn over his guns and ammunition, the San Diego City Attorney’s office said Monday.
A neighbor of Shawn Erler called San Diego Police to report gun shots on Dec. 11. Officers said Erler told them he had been shooting at rats and raccoons when he was arrested in his yard. Police said Erler had a blood alcohol content of .255 and was using prescription medications.
Erler became the first person to receive a long-term gun violence restraining order obtained by the City Attorney’s office on behalf of the San Diego Police Department.
“A gun violence restraining order is a relatively new and powerful tool law enforcement can use to prevent future gun-related tragedies. This tool protects the public from individuals who are clearly a danger to themselves and to others,” City Attorney Mara W. Elliott said. “It was grossly negligent for this individual to fire a gun in a densely populated neighborhood. This kind of conduct all too often leads to the loss of innocent lives.”
The restraining order will last one year. Erler will be banned from having a weapon or ammunition. His High Point .380 hand gun is in police custody.
