'High School Musical' 3 Star Arrested to Aiming Gun at Cops
"High School Musical 3" star Justin Martin appeared in a Boston court on Wednesday after being accused of engaging in a police shootout the night before.
The 21-year-old actor, who has worked alongside high profile celebrities like Denzel Washington and Robert Downey, Jr., was arrested Tuesday night after police say he pointed a gun at them while he was on the run in a high crime neighborhood in Dorchester.
According to The Daily Beast, officers in the Youth Violence Strike Force engaged Martin and another 17-year-old boy after they heard gun shots around 10 p.m. The suspects then took off running.
"After they heard shots fired, the officers turned a corner and saw [the suspect] running down the street with a gun in his hand," said Lt. Michael McCarthy, a Boston Police Department spokesman.
"They chased him, and at that point a second suspect appeared and began firing at the officers," said McCarthy.
Although the cops returned fire, "nobody was struck by gunfire," said McCarthy.
"It was over in a matter of seconds," he added.
The cops were able to subdue the two men and place them under arrest. They also recovered a loaded .22 caliber pistol and .25 caliber handgun at the scene.
Martin, who played "young Simba" in a Broadway production of The Lion King in 2006, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm, and assault by means of a dangerous weapon.
During his arraignment Wednesday, Martin's defense attorney Lawrence Kelly emphasized that the star has acted in over 20 movies and has no record of violence. Martin pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $35,000, reports CBS News.
Meanwhile, the teen's juvenile court bail was set at $150,000.
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