NORRIDGEWOCK (AP) — Police armed with assault rifles descended on a Maine man’s home after members of a tree removal crew he’d told to clear off his property reported that he had a gun.

Turns out the “gun” the tree crew had seen on Michael Smith of Norridgewock on Tuesday morning was just a tattoo of a handgun on his stomach.

Smith, who works nights, was asleep when the tree crew contracted by a utility to trim branches near power lines, woke him up at about 10 a.m. He went outside shirtless and yelled at them to leave. When he’s not wearing a shirt, the tattoo looks like a gun tucked into his waistband.

Smith told the Morning Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1l37m2f ) the tattoo has never been a problem before.

Police did not charge him.

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