Film Shoot Nixed by SWAT Team
Karen Romer
In the scene, Chris Borden, the lead actor, plays the role of Jared, who is holding a girl hostage and pistol whips a good samaritan who tries to intervene.
Borden surmises that someone passing through the park thought there was a real hostage situation, and in a panic, called the police.
The crew had a park permit and had been shooting the movie for several hours when the SWAT team moved in.
"One of the actor's faces goes completely white and we all turn around and we're all surrounded by SWAT," Borden said.
The entire crew was ordered to drop to their knees with M-16 rifles pointed at their backs and then were forced to lay on the ground for 15 to 20 minutes. Several crew members tried to explain that they were just filming a movie, but were ordered by the SWAT team to shut up.
"They told me they were going to send rounds my way," said Borden who was incredulous about the whole incident.
They took down our names, weights, heights and license plate numbers and took mug shots of everyone, Borden said.
The SWAT team even brought out an orange briefcase to test the fake blood -- corn syrup -- on the car, Borden said.
After 30 minutes, the crew was uncuffed, but they were given no explanation by the SWAT team why they had been detained.
Borden could probably write the whole thing off as being absurd if he hadn't been issued a citation for disorderly conduct. The film's director, Eileen Agosta, was issued a citation for accessory to disorderly conduct.
"The thing that upsets me the most is that I've had a clean record all of my life," Borden said. "It would be a shame to have this on my record."
Borden is scheduled to appear Aug. 28 in the Larimer County Courthouse in Fort Collins.