One man was arrested Sunday morning after a work-related dispute with a fellow employee at Panera Bread in the Columbia Mall, according to a news release from the Columbia Police Department.
Columbia resident David Perry, 24, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon after a confrontation with the victim, 35, whose name has not been released. According to the release, the incident occurred in the mall parking lot near Panera Bread at approximately 5:44 a.m.
According to police, the suspect drew a handgun from the waist of his pants and then proceeded to work the slide on the semiautomatic. The victim noticed the gun had malfunctioned, and when Perry pointed the gun at him, the victim took the gun away from Perry and ran inside Panera Bread. The victim then contacted mall security, which contacted Columbia police.
Upon arrival, officers discovered the suspect was still on the scene and took him into custody. The handgun was recovered.