Huge police presence descends on Riverside Target after reports of armed subject

RIVERSIDE — Target shoppers in Riverside were surprised when police officers from around the city converged on the business after receiving reports of a “man with a gun” at the store, early Sunday evening, Sept. 2. The Target where the call originated is on the 3500 block of Tyler Street.

Officers say they never located the person reported to be armed, but say they did find a “suspicious vehicle” in the parking lot that led to a separate, unrelated investigation. Officials declined to specify why the vehicle was deemed suspicious or what the outcome of the separate investigation was.

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City of Riverside police officers responded to the Target about 5:40 p.m., after receiving reports of an armed man at the business.

Based on the reported circumstances, every available officer within the city converged on the Target, flooding into the store, parking lot, and area streets.

Heavily armed officers, some with patrol rifles and shotguns, were soon seen posted throughout the parking lot while other officials took up positions on area roofs, surveying the parking lot and surrounding areas from a higher vantage point.

“Officers quickly responded and thoroughly checked the business, parking lot, and immediate area,” Riverside PD said after the incident. “Nobody with a weapon was found and there is no threat to the public’s safety.”

Throughout the next several hours shoppers and employees watched the heavy police activity, with many taking to social media discussing the ongoing investigation and sharing photos and videos of the overwhelming police response and tense search.

Although officers never found the armed subject, who was not described by officials, officers are still conducting an investigation regarding the “suspicious” car.

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

 

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Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.