CEO causes commotion with antique rifle

Tom Metcalf said he was sending apology notes Friday morning after the Carson City Sheriff's Office responded to a call that a man was carrying a weapon on Roop Street near the Metcalf Builders office on Basque Way.

Turns out that man was Metcalf, who brought an antique Russian rifle, given to his godfather during the Vietnam War, to his Carson City office to take a photo of it for another Vietnam veteran.

At about 10 a.m., Metcalf took the rifle outside his Carson City construction office and started to toy with the weapon, which he said hadn't been used since the war.

That's when someone across the street spotted Metcalf with the rifle and called the authorities, worried a more serious situation was about to unfold.

"I was just playing with it, but this poor young girl thought I was going to go in and blow away people in my company," said Metcalf, CEO of Metcalf Builders.

After Metcalf had gone inside his office, officers responded with weapons drawn. They blocked off Roop Street between Winnie Lane and Hot Springs Road for about 12 minutes during the incident.

Eventually, the Carson City Sheriff's Office contacted Metcalf's office and that's when it dawned on Metcalf that he was the one causing the commotion.

He said he walked out with his hands up.

"It was stupid on my part," Metcalf said. "(Sheriff) Kenny Furlong gave me a lecture."

Sgt. Mark Marshall of the sheriff's office said Metcalf will face no charges.

"No crime committed except scaring some of the public," Marshall said.

Metcalf's godfather, Thom Driver of Corpus Christi, Texas, gave his godson the rifle and an authentic Viet Cong flag, both given to Driver more than 40 years ago from Australian soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War as a token of their appreciation.

Driver wanted to give the flag and rifle to Metcalf to "pass it on to another generation," Driver wrote in a letter to Metcalf.

A retired Navy Seal in Gardnerville wanted a photo of the flag and rifle. Metcalf said his camera and computer were at his office, which is why he brought the rifle there.