You’d be forgiven for thinking this was another one of our ridiculous headlines—because “man with rifle-shaped bong triggers full police response” sounds straight out of satire. But nope. This one’s 100% real, Oregon.
On Friday afternoon, May 2, police in Eugene responded to a report around 12:21 p.m. about a man yelling threats and carrying what looked like a rifle in the parking lot of Albertsons and Bi-Mart at 4780 Royal Avenue. According to the Eugene Police Department, the man was reportedly screaming that he was going to kill people and then started walking down Royal Avenue still holding the suspicious item.
As officers arrived, they located the man—later identified as 47-year-old Jacob Don Daniels—carrying what appeared to be a rifle. At one point, Daniels sat on a curb and even placed the object down, but refused commands to move away from it. When he got up and started walking back toward the item, officers used 40mm less-lethal rounds to subdue him and take him safely into custody.
What made this scene even weirder? The "rifle" turned out to be a bong shaped like a semi-automatic weapon. Because of course it did.
Police say Daniels made statements that he wanted to be shot. Fortunately, officers were able to de-escalate and arrest him safely. He's now facing a charge of disorderly conduct.
This whole thing shut down part of Royal Avenue for a time. Residents in the 4900 block were advised to shelter in place, and the Eugene Police Patrol and Drone Team were dispatched to the scene. The Bearcat armored vehicle also rolled in, and Eugene Springfield Fire staged nearby as a precaution—because that’s the kind of Friday it was.
Just another day in Eugene, where even the bongs are extra.
