ENNESAW, Ga. What would you do if a man in a bar parking lot pointed a gun at you and your friends?
Matt Solon, now 25, leapt into action, disarmed the gunman and whaled on him, making sure he was unable to further advance on him or his friends.
His swift moves seemed heroic to witnesses, but when police arrived, they arrested him. And, only him, that night.
Solon was handcuffed, put in the back of a Kennesaw Police officers cruiser and charged with battery and possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Solon told 11Alive investigators that he was saving his three friends, including a U.S. congressmans son from being shotpolice officers on the scene, said he was an assailant who went too far.
The man who pulled the gun? He wasnt immediately arrestedbut, already had charges pending against him that involved drugs and gun possession.
On April 22, 2017, Cobb County Police found Cooper passed out with his foot on the brake and his car in drive, at an intersection.
Officers located a loaded 9mm handgun in his cars center console, along with scales and a jar full of marijuana.
He was arrested and charged with having an open container, DUI, felony possession of drugs with intent to deliver, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.
Coopers bail restrictions did not prohibit him from possessing firearms while he was on bail for felony gun charges.
Cooper is awaiting trial on multiple charges related to the parking lot incident, and he is on probation for Aprils felony drug conviction.
But, now, Solon worries every time he sees a police cruiser in his rearview mirror.
They're going to see this when they run my plate that I've been arrested before, he said.
For a gun-related charge And they're going to think in their head, Oh this guy just had a good lawyer, he got off it.
Cooper did not respond to our requests for an interview.