Jury acquits M-1 rifle toting 18-year-old

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP (AP) -- A jury has found an 18-year-old man not guilty of a crime for carrying a loaded M-1 rifle as he walked through downtown Birmingham. Birmingham police arrested Sean Combs on April 13. A district court jury in Oakland County's Bloomfield Township got the case last Wednesday and reached a verdict last Thursday. Oakland County 48th District Court Judge Marc Barron threw out a charge of resisting and obstructing police before deliberations started. The jurors then found Combs not guilty of brandishing a firearm and disturbing the peace. WWJ-AM reports that after the verdict, Combs said he considers carrying a rifle in public as part of his "freedom of speech and expression." Earlier, city attorney Mary Kacharik told jurors that Combs was "showing off," "liked the attention" and "wanted to shock people." Published: Mon, Jul 16, 2012