Champaign and University police officers were dispatched to HomeTown Pantry at 7:36 p.m. Wednesday, where someone had reportedly walked in with a gun displayed.

After locating the suspects who matched the descriptions of those involved near the corner of Sixth and Green streets, officers ordered them to kneel and place their hands on their heads.

“This is known as a felony stop in incidents where it is suspected that a serious crime has occurred or the offender might be armed, and it is a tactic police use to ensure the safety of everyone involved, including the alleged offenders,” said University police spokesman Patrick Wade in an email.

Wade said that at one point during the stop, one of the offenders, Demetrius Crockett, got up and began to run. The suspect tripped and fell as he ran, and officers quickly got on top of him.

After a struggle with the officers, Crockett was handcuffed and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer.

The Champaign police found a BB gun at Crockett’s waistband that Wade said could easily have been mistaken for a real gun.

Nolan Westfield, the other suspect, was arrested for resisting a police officer and possession of cannabis and Xanax.

[email protected]