A man, unclothed and armed, created chaos at a Tesla repair shop in the Bay Area before police detained him.
The Berkeley Police Department reported that they responded to the Tesla Service Center on Gilman Street after receiving numerous calls about a man running down the street with an object in hand and breaking windows.
While on the way, officers were alerted that the suspect had entered the repair shop while wielding a shotgun.
Upon arrival, police set up a perimeter around the service center, anticipating the man, who eventually burst out of the building, yelling and holding the weapon.
Despite officers urging him to stop, the man kept charging at them.
Eventually, officers managed to tackle him, disarm him, and place him in handcuffs.
Afterward, police obtained a search warrant for a nearby property belonging to the suspect, discovering evidence indicating that the gun had been used multiple times inside.
They expressed gratitude that no one was harmed and appreciated the community members who reported the man’s whereabouts, allowing officers to act quickly.
The man was identified as Edward Thies, 35, who was born in Berkeley. Reports said he had attended a private high school in Massachusetts and was part of Yale’s rowing team from 2009 to 2010.
Thies faces several charges, including assault with a firearm and the negligent discharge of a weapon, and is currently held at Santa Rita Jail with bail set at $175,000.
As of Wednesday, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged him with possession of a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a firearm, and resisting an officer. Further comments from the Berkeley Police Department are pending.
