The 12-year-old was playing with a group of kids in Boulder when he went down a few houses looking for the others, police said.

The boy told officers that a neighbor came out of his house, grabbed him, yelled at him and pointed a gun at his chest, police said.

Investigators said the man reportedly kicked the child as he sent him out of his yard.

When officers talked to the man, he told them a "prowler" had knocked at his door.

Officers said they confiscated a revolver-style pellet gun from 67-year-old Paul Staffin and arrested him on suspicion of felony menacing and harassment.

The incident happened Friday night in the 1900 block of Tincup Court.

Staffin gave police a voluntary statement that said, "I sincerely regret my lapse in judgment in this incident. I have been harassed by the teens on the street with snowballs, trespass, etc.. In this case, I snapped and took inappropriate action. I regret my actions in this case."