Man arrested after pointing banana at cops like a gun

MESA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Nathan Channing is facing a felony menacing charge after pointing a banana at cops, who thought it was a gun.

A Colorado man wielding a banana probably should have just split.

Instead Nathan Channing, 27, was sent to Mesa County Jail after he pointed the piece of fruit at two sheriff’s officers Sunday and pretended it was a gun.

The suspect, who ironically is from Fruitvale, Colo., told the officers he was a comedian that makes YouTube videos, but the authorities were not laughing, reports the Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction.

The officers wrote in the police report they feared for their safety despite observing the supposed weapon was yellow.

"I immediately ducked in my patrol car and accelerated continuing northbound, fearing that it was a weapon," Officer Joshua Bunch wrote in the report, according to the newspaper. "Based on training and experience, I have seen handguns in many shapes and colors and perceived this to be a handgun."

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Channing faces three years in jail and a $100,000 fine for the stunt.

The bad joke actually turned into quite a dangerous scene as the other officer, Donald Love, was about to pull out his gun before Channing screamed, "It's a banana!" the officers said.

The suspect told police he was prepping to make a comedy video and thought the stunt would "lighten the holiday spirit," police said.

The comedian, who does not have a YouTube channel in his name, now has a new audience to entertain — his fellow inmates at county jail.

He received $10,000 bail on a charge of suspicion of felony menacing, the newspaper reported. The charge carries a maximum of three years in jail and $100,000 fine.

Courtesy: Daily News