Inset: Alan Olson (Volusia County Sheriff's Office). Background: The Circle K gas station in Volusia County, Fla., where cops say Alan Olson confronted and threatened his daughter's THC vape dealer (WESH/YouTube).
A Florida father allegedly confronted a man who sold his 15-year-old daughter a "THC vape cartridge" — wielding a handgun and staging a fake meetup of his own — so he could give the dealer a piece of his mind and threaten him, cops say.
Alan Olson, 40, is facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the alleged THC dealer reported being "in fear for his life" when Olson met up with him at a Circle K gas station in Volusia County and "threatened to kill him," according to an arrest affidavit. The incident happened on Sunday, Nov. 16.
The alleged dealer was so scared and "anxious" about being confronted by Olson that he "failed to notice he had a red light" after fleeing the Circle K in his vehicle, which caused him to collide with an uninvolved motorist, police say.
"Alan called out to him to come over to him and taunted him about the crash," the affidavit says, noting that Olson's hands were "positioned at his sides as he taunted him." The alleged dealer told cops he believed Olson was still armed.
"He then yelled out to Alan that he called the police and then concealed himself," the affidavit recounts.
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According to police, Olson had arrived home from visiting family out of town that afternoon with his daughter and she began to act "weird and funny." The teen asked for money to purchase ice from the Circle K and then walked to the gas station, the affidavit says.
Olson told cops that when his daughter returned home, she was still acting "weird and funny" and he questioned her about what was going on. "At that time, they learned she had lied to them and had purchased a THC cartridge," the affidavit alleges. "Alan then took [the daughter's] cellphone to review the contents. He then observed her conversation with [the alleged dealer]."
Alan allegedly proceeded to text the man from his own cellphone, "soliciting him to purchase a THC cartridge." The two of them agreed to meet at the same Circle K, with Olson driving there in his Chevrolet Colorado truck to confront the individual.
"[The alleged dealer] noticed a silver pickup truck arrive and park suspiciously behind him," the affidavit says, alleging that the victim exited his vehicle and walked over to Olson's truck.
"Upon approaching the driver's door, the driver, later identified as Alan Olson, acknowledged he was there to purchase a THC cartridge," the affidavit explains. "Alan then began questioning [the alleged dealer] if he knew his daughter … [The alleged dealer] stated he did, at which point, he noticed Alan was holding a silver and black, semi auto handgun, possibly Glock 9 mm, in his hand, upon his lap."
Olson allegedly "demanded" that the man drive home with Olson behind him to speak with his parents, while threatening to kill him if he didn't, according to police. The alleged dealer "immediately retreated back to his vehicle as he was in fear for his life" before fleeing the Circle K and getting into the wreck.
After witnessing the crash, Olson allegedly went home and began having a "panic attack" about what happened, with his wife having to console and calm him down with a "cold, damp cloth," the affidavit says, citing statements that the wife gave to police.
"[The wife] and Alan discussed that Alan was not involved in the crash aspect, so there was no need for him to contact law enforcement," the woman allegedly told cops. "A few minutes later, [the daughter] received a message from [the alleged dealer] indicating 'her father was going to jail for a long time.'"
Olson's wife told police that she and Olson decided they needed to go to the Circle K after learning of the message to speak with police. They were pulled over on the way there.
"The ideal thing would be to call us," Sheriff Michael Chitwood told local NBC affiliate WESH in a statement about Olson's alleged decision to take the law into his own hands.
"Then you would not be going to jail for brandishing a firearm and threatening to shoot somebody," Chitwood said. "I get it. I understand the anger was there, but that is not how you do business; that's how you get yourself in more trouble."
A barber who witnessed the confrontation and its aftermath told WESH, "When the cops came in, they came in from everywhere. … We could see it from the window. Somebody done messed up."
Olson is facing a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was released Monday after posting bail and is due in court for his arraignment on Dec. 18, according to court records.
