Photo: Loch Lomond Marina
SAN RAFAEL — A man was arrested for firing gunshots during an early morning commotion at Loch Lomond Marina last weekend. Evidently, the person who was ultimately arrested is the same person who reported hearing these gunshots.
Christopher P. Skaates, 40 Sebastopol, phoned the San Rafael Police Department at 4:48 a.m. on March 16th.
Skaates started off saying that he heard gunfire. Next, he was telling the police dispatcher that he believed a family member had been shot at the marina.
He told the dispatcher that he was calling from a boat docked at the marina. Soon after that, Skaates advised the dispatcher that he had been drinking and that he was in possession of a weapon.
Upon their arrival at the marina, responding officers quickly established communication with Skaates by simply calling his phone. Skaates ended up speaking with an officer for nearly one hour.
Eventually, the officer convinced Skaates that he should put down the weapon, and to leave the boat voluntarily. He took the officer’s advice and he was arrested without further incident.
Officers boarded the boat, where they located a family member who was shaken but unharmed. Further investigation revealed that Skaates had fired three shots from a handgun while he was aboard the boat.
Consequently, officers seized several firearms from the boat and took them to the police station for safekeeping.
Meanwhile, Skaates remains in custody at Marin County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond. He is being held on open charges, including the willful discharge of a weapon in a grossly negligent manner.
