Bar-Bill Customer Allegedly Pulls Gun Over Bad Tip

A West Seneca man is facing serious charges after allegedly pulling a gun on another customer over a bad tip.

According to WGRZ, witnesses at the scene claim the man, Scott Rutkowski (40) got in a dispute with another customer when they left just $1 for a tip. The witnesses say Rutkowski then went to his car and grabbed his gun. When he returned to the restaurant he allegedly started threatening people with the gun. Even pointing the gun "at [the] victim's genitals, and making threats to use the firearm to shoot customers."

The man is now facing felony charges

When East Aurora police arrived at the scene, Rutkowski had fled. They were eventually able to find him in Springville and placed him in custody around 1:40am. He is now facing a laundry list of charges, including Menacing in the 2nd Degree, Prohibited Use of a Weapon, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Firearm in a Sensitive Location, and Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd Degree.

He is currently in the Erie County Holding Center while he awaits his hearing.

What should you do if something like this arises while you're in a public space?

It seems absurd that something like this would happen in public, but what do you do if it does? It is obviously a real-life situation. Everyone handles situations differently but you should always be thinking about the safety of yourself and your family.

While it might feel like you should intervene, many experts will tell you that the safest strategy is to remain calm and be a witness to provide information to law enforcement later. When you intervene, you might be adding temperature to the room and adding another person to the dynamic.