Man Feigns Sleep After Firing Gun: Cops

Playing possum pretty much works only for possums, as a Joliet man discovered when he pretended to be asleep after allegedly firing a gun out his second-story window, Joliet Police Cmdr. Rich Demick said.

Richard Edward Long, 53, was reportedly intoxicated after spending Friday night and early Saturday morning at dinner and having drinks with several family members to celebrate an undisclosed occasion, Demick said.

When they returned to his 2103 Wesmore Lakes Drive home at about 3 a.m., Long was "acting erratically" and went up to a second-floor bedroom where he reportedly made a lot of noise, family members told police. Shortly thereafter, they heard a loud sound, Demick said.

When they rushed upstairs, they found Long pretending to be asleep and a gun laying next to him in bed, he said.

There was no damage to the room so police speculate he fired the weapon out of the window. No damage was found to any of the neighboring residences, Demick said.

Long was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm. He has been released from Will County jail on $10,000 bond.