'I Have This': Man Allegedly Shows Off Gun to Couple During Oak Fest

A man who showed off a loaded handgun tucked into his waistband during Oak Fest was smacked with a felony charge.

Brandon S. Boltz, 26, of the 5800 block of Corey Lane in Oak Forest, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to Oak Forest police.

An employee of a restaurant flagged down police at about 7:50 p.m. on Friday, July 5, to tell them customers were complaining about a man who had a handgun near the Oak Fest festival.

Officers spoke with a couple who recounted a run-in with a pair of drunk men. They had been sitting in front of a restaurant, watching a large number of people walking by, when two men came up to them and started a conversation, police said. The pair appeared to be drunk, according to the boyfriend, and were acting "strange."

Things became stranger when the boyfriend told the two men to have fun and be safe, hoping to get them to leave, the report states.

That's when one of the men, Boltz, said they were already drunk and planned to drink more. He then pulled up his shirt and showed the couple a gun he had tucked into his pants, according to the report.

"Don't worry. I don't need to be safe. I have this," Boltz allegedly told the couple.

After police were given a description of the two men, they met up with Oak Fest security and searched for the pair on the festival grounds at 159th Street and Central Avenue. Police found them inside the beer tent near the stage. An officer spoke with the men and proceeded to pat down Boltz, feeling what could be a gun handle in his waist band, according to the report.

"I'm not here to cause problems," Boltz reportedly said. "That's not my gun."

Police handcuffed Boltz and recovered a .45 caliber handgun loaded with seven live rounds, according to the report. He was escorted out of the festival and taken to the Oak Forest Police Department.

Bail was set at $50,000. Boltz is due Tuesday, July 9, in Cook County court.

Police Blotter information is provided by the Oak Forest Police Department. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.