Reports of a man who’d stopped his vehicle in the middle of the road and was carrying a gun were directed to Owensboro Police Department on Wednesday evening. At 5:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to the corner of East Parrish and Wing Avenues, where they found Ryan J. Bean, 34, pointing a handgun at people passing by in their vehicles.
It took over 30 minutes for Bean to surrender his weapon to police and step out of his vehicle. Traffic was blocked on Parrish Avenue until police were able to clear the scene.
“Officers attempted to get Bean out of the vehicle, but he refused to follow orders for approximately 30 minutes before he came out of the vehicle,” the report states.
Upon being questioned about his possessing a gun, Bean, a convicted felon, admitted to police that there was a weapon in his driver’s side door panel. Officers found the gun in the door panel, and the evidence was seized and logged into OPD’s Evidence Collection Unit.
Bean was detained by OPD officers by 6:35 p.m. and was charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and first-degree wanton endangerment.
Once Bean was identified, officers discovered he was the same individual who’d sped away from OPD officers in his vehicle the day before, ensuing a chase in which Bean had fled.
According to police reports, OPD’s Street Crimes Unit was observing Bean at a residence in the 800 block of E. 14th Street on Tuesday, when detectives saw Bean get into his vehicle, on a suspended license, and drive away.
“Detectives attempted to stop him in the 2000 block of Ragu Drive, activating lights and siren, and he refused to stop,” the report states. “He made a right turn onto E. Parrish Ave. on a red light, without stopping prior to turning, and continued on.”
As fate would have it, Bean was located, apprehended and arrested the following day for waving a firearm around in the middle of a busy street.
OPD has not confirmed what led to Bean’s behavior on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the suspect was additionally charged with first-degree fleeing/evading police in a motor vehicle and operating a vehicle on a suspended or revoked operating license.
