A Bloomington man attempted to buy alcohol at the Kroger located at 528 S. College Ave, but was denied because employees thought he was too intoxicated, according to police.
When the man, Jeffrey Smith, attempted to climb into a black pickup truck and drive away, Kroger security stopped him and called the Bloomington Police Department.
Upon arrival, BPD officers found an AR-15 rifle and a silver 22-caliber handgun in the truck.
Smith, 43, did not have a license for the handgun.
While Indiana law does not require a rifle permit, Smith did have a prior felony conviction for intimidation, which might make possession of the rifle a federal crime, BPD Capt. Steve Kellams said.
Officers conducted a standard sobriety test, Kellams said, and tried to take Smith to the Monroe County Correctional Center, but he was denied because of how intoxicated he was. Smith was then taken to the hospital, and later to jail.
Smith was charged with public intoxication and lacking a handgun license.
