A 30-year-old Kalispell man was arrested Wednesday morning after he was seen firing an imitation firearm that initially was believed to be an assault rifle.

Anthony Bush was not arrested for his actions with the imitation firearm, but for an outstanding warrant for misdemeanor criminal contempt out of Columbia Falls.

At 11:19 a.m., dispatch received a call that there was a man shooting a gun in the area of Windward Way, using the scope before firing. It was also reported that there were several youths in the area.

Roughly 10 officers with the Kalispell Police Department responded but did not initially hear any shots fired. At that point it was believed the man may have been dry-firing the weapon.

According to Sgt. Doug Overman, officers slowly approached the building and eventually contacted Bush inside Timber Hills Apartments, at which point they were able to confirm the weapon was an Airsoft gun, identical to an AR-15. They then took Bush into custody.

“Due to recent events, people are hypervigilant about this sort of thing, and for a good reason,” Overman said. “Thankfully, it ended safely for everybody.”

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.