Two people were arrested after threatening a man who refused to purchase items they were selling at the shopping center parking lot, Steven Goard said.
The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. Friday when a man called police to report he was harassed and threatened by two males.
The man, who was waiting for his wife, was inside his parked vehicle with his child.
He told police the suspects approached him and offered to sell merchandise he was not interested in, Goard said.
However, the sellers did not take no for an answer and demanded he purchase the unknown items, which sparked a verbal argument.
"They then threaten to hurt him and motion underneath (clothing) that they have a gun," Goard said. "He thought they were going to hurt him and end his life."
The suspects then flee the area as police were responding to the call, Goard said. An officer spots the pair in a vehicle stopped at the intersection of Las Positas Road and North Livermore Avenue.
The suspects then blow past a red light, prompting the officer to report back to police dispatch a "high-risk stop." The officer turns on his siren and flashes his lights to pull the suspects over, Goard said.
A high-risk stop is a multi-unit response where there is a possibility of a high risk of danger, Goard said.
"It's the safest way to bring someone who is potentially dangerous back to us, especially if we have some sort of knowledge there may be a heavy level of violence or weapons involved," Goard said.
Residents who witnessed the high-risk stop Friday posted the following descriptions on Livermore Patch's Facebook page:
6 officers with guns drawn on a vehicle at Las Positas and Livermore. Intersection is blocked South bound. Just got through going North bound and ducking for cover. —Lori Hallam Ferriter
...never seen that many cops with their guns drawn... My heart is pounding having been driving right by that, in the opposite lane.. Scary —Jennifer Hill Hoobing
The suspects were compliant in the stop and no weapons were found, Goard said. The two were arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.
Police were unable to provide names or ages of the males arrested at the time of this report.
