A man walking down Yosemite Ave. with a gun in his hand on Sunday afternoon prompted the Manteca Police Department to dispatch its armored vehicle.

According to the Manteca Police, dispatchers received a call on Sunday just after 12 p.m. that there was a man walking down the middle of Yosemite Ave. – just west of the railroad tracks outside of Downtown Manteca – holding what appeared to be a semi-automatic firearm.

Luis Valdez Ochoa, a 34-year-old transient, was contacted by police but was uncooperative and moved to the sidewalk before continuing to walk westbound towards Union Road.

Out of an abundance of caution, the police dispatched its armored vehicle – a military MRAP received from the federal government – to mitigate the risk and protect the lives of both officers and the public that may have been in the area.

Upon arrival of the armored vehicle – which is typically used for situations where the special weapons and tactics, or SWAT, team is called out – Ochoa became compliant and promptly turned himself over to be taken into custody without incident.

Upon a search officers were able to locate an unloaded Ruger 5.7mm handgun. He was arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a handgun and possessing a concealed handgun in public.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.