A man could face simple assault charges after witnesses said he brandished a cellular phone like a gun in an altercation.

No charges have been filed yet in connection with the incident.

The State College Police Department responded to a call at 2:41 a.m. yesterday from the 700 block of Bellaire Avenue.

The individual who made the call said a man was threatening a crowd with a gun. Police caught the man nearby after a brief chase.

Police determined the object that witnesses believed was a gun was a cellular phone, said Cpl. Tom Dann of the State College police.

The man said his cousin was in a fight with members of the crowd, and he intervened but did not use his phone in the manner witnesses described.

He said after intervening, he used his phone to call for someone to pick up his cousin and him when members of the crowd started yelling that he had a gun, Dann said.

Other witnesses said the man held the phone at shoulder height with both arms extended.

Police are still investigating all accounts. But Dann said the man could face simple assault charges if detectives determine that he deliberately made the crowd believe he had a gun.

"If you go into a bank and say you have a gun, it's still armed robbery," Dann said. He added that this would be a similar situation.

He said objects used as look-alike weapons are a serious problem for police. Officers who thought individuals were armed have shot them, Dann said.

Dann said he was unaware if investigators were pursuing charges against other individuals at the scene in connection with a fight.