Vermont man Jason Breault arrested for pointing a handgun at passing traffic — before arguing with officers it was a lighter

A Vermont man was arrested after allegedly brandishing what appeared to be a handgun at passing vehicles along a city street, Burlington police said.

Jason Breault, 50, of Vermont, was taken into custody along South Winooski Avenue in Burlington.

Officers on foot patrol responded to the South Winooski Avenue area around 2 p.m. Saturday, police said.

The responding officers arrived to find Breault still holding the object in his hand, according to authorities.

The device in Breault’s hand was actually a replica pistol that doubled as a lighter, according to police.

Witnesses had no way of knowing the item was not an operable firearm, investigators said. To the motorists allegedly having the object pointed in their direction, the device appeared to be a real weapon, according to police.

Breault initially refused commands to surrender while arguing with the foot patrol officers, police said. The suspect insisted to officers that the object was not a real gun and was actually a lighter, according to the department.

Breault eventually surrendered to the responding officers at the scene, police said.

Officers inspected the weapon and confirmed the pistol was indeed a replica lighter, according to authorities.

Investigators subsequently discovered that Breault was barred from the property where the incident took place, police said.

Police had previously issued Breault a no-trespass order, according to authorities. That order banned him from the very property where police say he was standing with the replica pistol, the department said.

Breault has been accused of the offenses and has not been convicted, according to court documents.

The defendant was held without bail pending his scheduled September 14 arraignment, according to court records.