A 50-year-old Ocean Park man was arrested after he reportedly shot another man after an argument Thursday afternoon in Ocean Park, according to Pacific County Sheriff’s Office Chief Criminal Deputy Pat Matlock.

Deputies were dispatched to the 2100 block of 282nd Street about 4:50 p.m. to a report that a man had been shot. The caller said the victim had been shot in the groin area, said Matlock, and the person who shot the man also called to report the incident and was remaining at the scene.

When deputies arrived they found the victim lying in the road receiving aid from a bystander. The suspected shooter told deputies “he had shot the victim because he felt threatened by him because the victim had charged at him with a collapsible baton,” said Matlock.

Deputies seized the handgun, which the shooter told deputies he had secured in the trunk of his vehicle. The suspect also explained the incident started over an argument that occurred earlier in the day, said Matlock.

“After further investigation and examination at the scene to include witness interviews, deputies concluded that the gunshot victim had been in possession of a collapsible baton but hadn’t brandished it,” said Matlock. “Evidence collected at the scene also indicated several inconsistencies with (the shooter’s) account of what had occurred.”

The suspect was arrested and booked into the Pacific County Jail for first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. Matlock said the suspect is a convicted felon and ineligible to possess firearms. The suspect was scheduled to make his preliminary appearance in Pacific County Superior Court Friday afternoon.

The victim of the shooting was transferred to the hospital and is expected to recover.