Man Arrested on Accusation of Stealing Historic 800-Lbs Cannon from Wichita Park to Pay Off $20K Drug Debt

• 37-year-old Gordon Pierce III was arrested after police alleged that he stole an 800-lbs historic cannon to pay off a $20,000 drug debt
• Pierce, who allegedly admitted to using meth, said that he was threatened by his drug dealer after a 1-lb bag of drugs was stolen from him, according to an arrest affidavit examined by media
• The cannon was described as a “priceless fixture” in the community and was over 100 years old

A man has been arrested on accusations of stealing an 800-lbs cannon to pay off a drug debt.

The cannon, described as a “priceless fixture” to the community, was reported missing on April 3. That day, a suspect was identified and arrested, according to a report shared on the Wichita Police Department’s Facebook.

While it was recovered, the cannon was described as being “significantly damaged.”

According to an arrest affidavit examined by Kake News and KSNW, the man was identified as 37-year-old Gordon Pierce III. The outlets reported that he allegedly admitted to stealing the cannon from a local park in Wichita, Kan.

Police reported that the cannon was gifted to the town in 1990. It dates back to the Spanish-American War, according to KNSW.

Pierce reportedly claimed that he stole the cannon out of fear that his life was in danger. He said that he was worried he would be killed by his drug dealer if he didn’t pay off a $20,000 debt that he accrued after a 1-lb bag of meth was stolen from him, according to KSNW.

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Per the outlet, Pierce, who allegedly admitted to using meth for 20 years, said that his dealer reportedly didn’t believe his story and threatened that he would “he would shoot him and his family.”

He allegedly turned to theft to pay the debt and initially wanted to steal copper statues. His plans allegedly changed when he found the cannon in Central Riverside Park. 

KNSW reported that Pierce enlisted the help of a homeless man around 4 a.m. on April 2. Together, they removed the cannon from its base. After getting it down, he sought out additional chains to pull the cannon from a friend.

The friend “was freaking out about this, believing he was going to get in trouble,” Pierce told police, per the outlet.

Pierce allegedly proceeded to cut the cannon into “four or five pieces,” per the affidavit. He allegedly brought several pieces to his dealer as evidence that he was trying to repay his debt. However, police say Pierce told them that the dealer was unimpressed and worried that the cannon would “bring heat to his house.”

Per KNSW, his friend reportedly directed the police to Pierce, and they arrested him. Kake News reported that Pierce had “a clear baggie of white crystal-like substance” on him at the time of arrest. He reportedly told officers that it was meth.

Pierce is being held on a bond of $200,000 at the Sedgwick County Jail and charges of “theft of property, aggravated criminal damage to property, and possession of drug paraphernalia.” He will be arraigned in court on May 22, according to Fox News.

The cannon was a part of Wichita’s Spanish-American War Memorial. Per the affidavit, the cannon is reportedly worth more than $100,000, and Pierce caused an estimated $10,000 in damage to its base.

“The arrest of the individual who committed this crime is a testament to the quick response of our patrol officers, the Property Crime Reduction Task Force officers, and investigators,” a representative for the Wichita Police Department said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

PEOPLE contacted the Sedgwick County Sheriff and the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.