PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man is facing up to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of first-degree arson last week.
John Harold Hann, 50, was found guilty last Thursday after a two-day trial in Clallam County Superior Court. He will be sentenced Oct. 10, the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced.
41-54 months
Hann faces a standard sentencing range of 41 months to 54 months in prison, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steve Johnson said.
Port Angeles police said Hann used a firecracker to explode a can of Linseed oil outside of an apartment at the Tempest building June 15, according to the affidavit for probable cause.
The fire caused minor damage to the apartment and forced the residents to evacuate, police said.
Reviewed footage
Officer Luke Brown said he reviewed surveillance footage showing Hann picking up a can of Linseed oil, lighting the can and walking away down a hallway.
“I saw the can flame up and then explode,” Brown said in court papers.
Linseed oil was sprayed over a second-floor wall at the apartments, and the wall above the fire alarm was charred, Brown said.
Hann, who was arrested June 16, told officer Sean Ryan that he lit the can to celebrate a resident’s birthday.
“John characterized his actions as a prank and insisted that he was not being malicious,” Ryan said.
Convicted before
Johnson said Hann has been convicted of five felonies and 38 misdemeanors.
Hann is being held in the Clallam County jail on $25,000 bail.
“Luckily for the residents of the Tempest and Mr. Hann, this situation was not nearly as bad as it could have been,” Johnson said in a press release.
“Anytime someone maliciously sets a fire in a building, they are putting people at risk. Fortunately, Mr. Hann’s actions only resulted in an evacuation of the building and minor damage.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.