PORT ANGELES — Nathan O. Reid was arrested last week for allegedly pointing a weapon or gun-shaped stick at a man who had chased him for burglarizing his vehicle.
Reid, 21, of Sequim turned himself in Thursday.
“I’m trying to get this taken care of,” Reid said at his initial court appearance Friday.
Reid had been sought by Port Angeles police for investigation of first-degree assault, second-degree theft and second-degree vehicle prowl in connection with the Nov. 25 incident in Port Angeles.
He is being held in the Clallam County jail on $20,000 bail. The Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will consider filing formal charges against Reid at his next court appearance Tuesday.
Reid told police that he had left church early on the morning of Nov. 25 and “decided to prowl vehicles,” Officer Eric Walker said in the affidavit for probable cause.
Reid had taken two cell phones from an unlocked vehicle on the 300 block of East Viewcrest Avenue when he was confronted by a man and a woman at the residence.
Reid told investigators that he threw the cell phones into the alleged victim’s yard and began to walk away.
The man followed Reid several houses down the street, shouting and throwing rocks at Reid as Reid jumped over fences and ran through yards, Walker said in the probable cause statement.
Reid told Walker that he picked up a gun-shaped stick in one of the yards that had been painted or stained a dark color to resemble a gun.
“I asked him what he was thinking at the time he took the stick and he said ‘If this dude doesn’t stop chasing me, I’m gonna threaten him with it,’ ” to escape being hit by a rock, Walker said in his report.
Reid told Walker that he became tired from running, turned around, pointed the stick at the alleged victim and assumed a firing stance.
According to Walker, Reid was alleged to have said: “Look dude, I already gave you your [stuff] back. There is no reason to follow me. If you continue I will shoot you.”
The alleged victim, who identified the object in Reid’s hand as a black semi-automatic pistol, said “Really? Really?” before turning around and running back to his house, Walker said.
James Kennedy, Clallam County deputy prosecuting attorney — who was elected in November as the new prosecuting attorney in Jefferson County, requested a $20,000 bail for Reid based on community safety concerns.
Defense attorney Harry Gasnick of Clallam Public Defender took exception to the finding of probable cause for first-degree assault.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Christopher Melly found sufficient facts that Reid may have committed first-degree assault and the other alleged charges.
“The report indicates that the alleged victim here believed that you were armed with a weapon, that you turned on him, said ‘If you continue I’m going to shoot you,’” Melly told Reid.
“The victim indicates that you assumed … a firing position.”
Melly said the requested bail amount was “reasonable” based on “concerns about the possibility of a firearm.”
The firearm or firearm-shaped stick were not recovered.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
