The strange tale comes to us via the Fort Collins Coloradoan. According to the paper, Mendias has been busted ten times since 2005 for various infractions -- harassment, domestic violence, theft, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence and more.
He added to this big-house laundry list on October 24, when Fort Collins cops responded to a report of a man acting oddly near an Old Town liquor store. A staffer there told cops Mendias had been standing outside the business waving a blanket on a stick like a flag, rapping on the windows, and calling him a "Persian terrorist."
This imaginative display earned him a stint behind bars that ended on November 22. And how long after his release did it take for Mendias to stir things up again? Three whole days.
On November 25 at 2:06 p.m., police say they received a citizen's report of a man with a gun near Laurel Street and College Avenue.That man turned out to be Mendias, who was said to have been "acting crazy" -- really? -- and was spattered in blood.
This red stuff may have been phony, but what followed was plenty real. Officer Michael Crosland spotted what looked like a gun in the waistband of Mendias's trousers and ordered him to keep his hands away from it. Instead, he apparently reached for it, at which point Crosland shot him in the stomach.
What was Mendias's weapon? The FCPD describes it as "a plastic handgun-replica designed to shoot plastic projectiles."
At first, Mendias's condition was considered critical, but the Coloradoan notes that he's improved in recent days and appears to be out of danger. Thus far, he hasn't been charged with anything in relation to the most recent incident. Meanwhile, doctors caring for him would be well advised to check into issues that go beyond the chunk of lead that tore through his abdomen. Here's a larger look at a recent Mendias booking photo.
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