Because of a victim’s inconsistent story and lack of a weapon, a 49-year-old Renton man whose car had broken down in north Renton wasn’t arrested as officers searched for a man with a gun.

Numerous officers responded to North Third Street and Meadow Avenue North at about 10 p.m. July 3 for a high-risk stop involving a handgun.

The victim, a 47-year-old Renton man, told officers a man he’s known since 2005 as Marquis called out to him as he walked in the 1300 block of North Third Street. He described the man’s car as a white Ford.

Marquis lifted up his shirt and pulled a 9 mm handgun from his waistband. The man told the officer he recognized a 9 mm handgun because he had been in a gang. He feared for his life and ran away on North Third Street. Marquis drove off in his white Ford.

The Renton man with his broken-down, purple Ford Taurus matched the suspect’s general description, including the white shirt. The victim positively identified the suspect as Marquis.

But the suspect is 49 and the victim told officers Marquis is about 38.

In retracing Marquis’ likely escape route, an officer determined that the suspect’s car, because of where it stalled, couldn’t have been the getaway vehicle.

The man’s two adult children, who walked off to a planned trip to a gym, came back when they saw the police cars and vouched for their father. He doesn’t own a gun, they told police. No gun was found in the car.

The Renton man was released because there was no evidence he had harassed anyone.

Teens setting off fireworks driven home

Three teens whom an officer decided were kids being kids were driven to their homes July 4 after being caught shooting off fireworks at the track at Lindbergh High School.

The officer in talking with the three found the them cooperative and polite and they indicated they didn’t want to cause any damage. The track was slightly scorched and one had burned a sheet of paper that said “no fireworks.”

The officer also noted that debris from what seemed liked hundreds of fireworks were floating in from nearby neighborhoods.

Fireworks are illegal in Renton.

Boyfriend just clearing her lungs

A 23-year-old woman who is bipolar told officers her boyfriend of eight months is the only one who understands her when she’s have an “episode.”

But officers arrested the 19-year-old Seattle man for investigation of fourth-degree assault for punching her in the stomach.

Three men and a woman were arguing on Hardie Avenue Southwest July 2.

A 33-year-old Auburn man dragged the woman into a parking lot, then let her go. Everyone left, except the couple. That’s when a witness saw the man hit the victim in the stomach.

The victim was crying when she told officers she loves and needs her boyfriend. The witness statements were lies, she said; the boyfriend hit her in the stomach to clear her lungs, which fill up when she “loses it.”

The boyfriend gave her bus passes so she could leave.

The suspect was booked into SCORE, the regional jail.

Service or companion dog?

John Doe had to leave Gene Coulon Park July 1 after he couldn’t convince an officer his dog was a service dog and not a companion dog.

The officer on an off-leash emphasis patrol spotted the man, who wouldn’t give his name, sitting with his bulldog in a picnic area with four other people.

The officer asked Doe what service the dog provides; Doe responded the dog helps him with anxiety. The officer tried to explain the difference between a service dog and a companion dog.

The City of Bellevue told Doe the same thing, but dropped the issue when he threatened to sue. Then, he said, this was a human-rights issue.

And, he told the officer, he works for the state Attorney General’s Office, so he can get the leash law changed at any time.

One of his companions recorded the exchange on a laptop.

A sergeant arrived; after more explanations to an uncooperative Doe, the man was asked to leave the park.

The officer maintained the dog was a companion dog and noted the friendly distracted dog didn’t act like a service dog.

He needed money for epilepsy meds

A 26-year-old Renton man who told officers he needed money for his epilepsy medication was cited July 3 for shoplifting three hard drives from Fry’s Electronics.

A 21-year-old Kent woman who helped him also was cited for third-degree theft; she cried and told the officer that stealing was wrong.

The Renton man had removed the hard drives from their packaging, placing one in his pocket. The woman placed the other two in his backpack, all of which was caught on security cameras.

Motorcyclist races through Liberty Park

A motorcyclist caught the attention July 4 of a Renton Police officer when he made a illegal left turn onto Houser Way from Bronson and drove on the sidewalk next to Liberty Park.

The officer turned around and with lights and siren activated pursued the motorcyclist, who accelerated through the parking lot and the sidewalk next to the skatepark. He officer was forced to stop because the sidewalk was too narrow for his police cruiser.

The officer last saw the motorcyclist on the sidewalk leading to the Renton Library. Some people were at the skatepark but not near where the motorcyclist rode.

There were other pedestrians in the park as the motorcyclist raced through, but the officer had ended the pursuit, which lasted about 16 seconds and covered about 150 yards.

A helmet obscured the rider’s face.

Couple surfaces, sees thief walk off

A couple surfaced from the apartment complex swimming pool after 30 seconds to spot a teen-aged girl walking away.

The 18-year-old Renton man soon realized his cell phone, $20 in cash, a debit card and an iPhone5, along with sunglasses, were missing.

The girl sat near the couple and their belongings in the pool July 2 at the complex on Aberdeen Avenue Northeast. A resident told he victim the girl had been visiting other girls at the complex.

The couple wants to press charges for theft. They can identify her.