Sonora, CA – Threats and guns landed two local men in handcuffs yesterday afternoon, and Sonora Police revealed a twist to this story.
A 911 caller reporting to Sonora Police Department dispatch that a man had brandished a firearm and threatened to kill him in the parking lot of the Washington Street Post Office around noon on Monday, October 20th, 2025, sent officers racing to the area. Due to firearms being involved, officers initiated a high-risk contact with the suspects, Zach R. Doyle of Sonora and A. Zwicker of Twain Harte, both 19 years old.
Police detailed that the victim told officers that Zwicker approached him and began questioning him about an incident he knew nothing about. When the victim told the suspects to leave him alone, he says Zwicker lifted his shirt and flashed a tan-colored firearm tucked inside his waistline and threatened to kill the victim. It was later determined that before officers arrived, Doyle had hidden the gun, which turned out to be a replica or fake gun, inside his backpack, knowing that Zwicker was on searchable probation for weapons charges, according to police. Zwicker was arrested for brandishing a replica firearm and violating probation, and Doyle was arrested for concealing evidence of a crime.
Suggesting that this situation could have turned deadly, the SPD noted, “Although only replica firearms were involved, this incident was a tense situation, as it’s very difficult to distinguish them from real firearms, even for trained officers.”
