Man Accused Of Drunkenly Grabbing Shotgun During Argument: Police

TROY, MI — A Troy man has been arrested Friday and accused of possessing a shotgun while drunk during an argument over a loud party his neighbors were having, Troy police said.

Christopher Hoggarth, 47, was arraigned Saturday and charged with possessing a firearm while intoxicated, police said. Officers accused Hoggarth of drunkenly holding a shotgun in the "high ready" position after getting into an argument with a neighbor who was having a loud party.

Officers from the city of Troy police department said they were called to the 6800 block of Dublin Fair around 9:40 p.m. Friday following reports of a loud party. While officers were at the scene, they said they saw an argument taking place between a man, later identified as Hoggarth, and someone at the party.

The person from the party, a 20-year-old Bloomfield Hills man, was yelling at Hoggarth, telling him to mind his own business, police said. When officers spoke with the man, they said they heard the sound a gun being racked and saw the neighbor standing on his porch and holding a shotgun upward.

Police said they told Hoggarth to drop the gun, but he ignored them and slowly retreated to his house. The man's wife also confronted police, they said. Hoggarth eventually surrendered to police, police said. While interviewing him, police said they smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Hoggarth. Police said they gave Hoggarth a preliminary breath test and he blew a .11.

The man said he "wasn't going to do anything with it," referring to the shotgun, police said.

Hoggarth has posted bond, police said.