When cops were dispatched to a rural Redwood Valley address recently, they had little information about what to expect: All they knew was a man with a gun was standing in his front yard shouting insults at passersby. Neighbors thought he might be dangerous, but police didn’t know who the man was, whether he was mentally ill or had a criminal record.

Upon arrival, they found the man shirtless with a gun in a holster; he promptly demanded that they leave his property. After cautiously discussing the situation, one of the uniformed police boldly walked up to the man and, acting as friendly as possible, offered a handshake. Then he snagged the gun from the holster.

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