BELLINGHAM, Wash. – A Bellingham man is in custody after forcing a stranger to buy him a pack of smokes.
Court documents state that Paul Ford approached the victim in the Safeway parking lot on November 3rd.
Ford pressed a gun-like object against the victim’s ribs and threatened to kill him unless he went inside the store to purchase cigarettes for him.
The victim complied, with Ford continuing to hold the weapon against him as he made the purchase.
Safeway employees recognized Ford from previous interactions, and he was arrested the next day when he returned to the store.
Ford admitted that he forced the stranger to buy him cigarettes, but denied that he threatened to kill him.
Officers found a gun-shaped torch while searching for a potential weapon.