A Kansas man is in jail after allegedly stealing and dismantling a rare 800-pound historic cannon from a Wichita park in a desperate bid to pay off a drug debt, according to court papers.
Gordon Pierce III, 37, said to police that he was being intimidated by a cocaine dealer who claimed Pierce owed him $20,000.
Afraid for his life, Pierce said he went looking for metal to sell and instead found a century-old Spanish-American War cannon, a valued piece of Wichita history given to the city in 1900.
Pierce revealed to police that he had been using methamphetamine for 20 years and had recently gotten a pound of the substance from his dealer but was unable to sell it. He claimed it was stolen from him, but his dealer refused to believe him and allegedly threatened Pierce and his family.
Desperate, Pierce found the cannon in a dark part of the park and decided to steal it.
According to the affidavit, he asked a homeless man for help in exchange for meth and a pipe. The two smoked together before trying the theft.
Because of the cannon’s massive weight, their attempts to lift it into Pierce’s SUV failed, but he tried to drag it using a chain, which snapped repeatedly. Eventually, he managed to haul the cannon to a friend’s garage.
Pierce used a power saw to cut the cannon into several pieces, storing the largest chunk at the friend’s home, according to Foxnews.
He later gave the pieces to his dealer, believing they would buy him some time, but the dealer labeled him “stupid” and vowed to kill him.
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Police tracked Pierce down using road indentations caused by hauling the cannon, and found a bag of crystal meth on him during the arrest.
Pierce is currently in the Sedgwick County Jail on accusations of theft, aggravated criminal damage, and drug possession. His bond is set at $200,000, and he is due in court on May 22.
Wichita officials called the cannon “irreplaceable” and praised the police for recovering the historic artifact.
“This cannon was gifted to the City in 1900 and is a priceless fixture in our community,” Wichita police said in an update on the department’s Facebook page.
“This swift investigation shows our dedication to holding individuals responsible when they victimize our community.”
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