Ex-Marine pointed fake gun at police

Man arrested after 3-hour standoff at Orlando airport.

ORLANDO, FLA. — A mentally distressed ex-Marine who pointed a fake handgun at police in the Orlando International Airport and shouted “kill me” said he wanted to speak to the president, according to an arrest affidavit released Wednesday.

Michael Wayne Pettigrew, 26, was arrested after the almost three-hour standoff that ended peacefully Tuesday night. Police have called it an attempted “suicide by cop.”

Pettigrew was charged with aggravated assault on a firefighter and was forcibly committed for shortterm mental health observation under what is commonly referred to as Florida’s “Baker Act.”

Court records show Pettigrew was denied bail Wednesday because of his mental health evaluation, but another bond hearing was scheduled for today.

The episode started Tuesday night when Pettigrew approached a cashier at a taxi company in the airport and showed her what looked like a gun. Pettigrew gave his cellphone to her and told her to call 911 because he wanted to summon the police and speak to the president, according to the affidavit.

Pettigrew pointed the fake gun at officers as they arrived at the airport’s rental car section, and also pointed the gun at himself. But no shots were fired and no one was hurt. One officer raised the muzzle of his rifle to get a clear view of Pettigrew but didn’t fire because passengers “were running everywhere,” the affidavit said.

Part of the airport was temporarily evacuated and traffic going into the airport was halted. Officers talked to Pettigrew for a half hour until SWAT team members and police negotiators arrived.

“Our negotiators did a phenomenal job of talking with the subject for about two hours and finally got him to peacefully surrender,” Orlando Police Chief John Mina said Tuesday night.

Minutes before appearing at the airport, Pettigrew texted a friend that he wanted to be killed by police officers, according to a recorded 911 call released Wednesday.

Calling from Pennsylvania, Pettigrew’s friend told a police dispatcher that the former Marine had texted him that he was headed to the airport. When the dispatcher asks if Pettigrew has any mental health problems, the unidentified friend says he doesn’t know, but “I know he has had some other issues.”

“He wasn’t planning on shooting anybody, but he wants to have the cops kill him,” friend said.