Man charged in airsoft gun incident at Lansing Mall

DELTA TWP. - A 27-year-old Lansing man faces a pair of charges in connection with an incident involving airsoft guns at the Lansing Mall on Sunday.

John Crawford was arraigned Tuesday in Eaton County District Court on a felony count of resisting and obstructing and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, police and prosecutors said.

He was arrested after witnesses reported seeing a man wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying what appeared to be firearms outside an entrance to the mall about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, police said.

In fact, the suspect was carrying "airsoft replica guns," along with a collapsible metal baton similar to ones used by police, Eaton County Undersheriff Jeffrey Cook said. The man became disorderly with deputies, Cook said.

"(The guns) looked very real to the deputies," Cook said. "This certainly caused a lot of concern for people there."

A $5,000 cash bond was set for Crawford. A hearing to determine whether he should stand trial on the felony charge is set for March 4.

An attorney for Crawford could not immediately be reached for comment.

Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.