By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Two Centralia men are each charged with one count of drive-by shooting and one count of second-degree assault after an incident one of them said was a joke gone bad and the other denies involvement in.
Edward A. Butterworth, 29, and Ronald L. Orr, 26, were arrested at a dead end road in what the sheriff’s office called a felony stop early Saturday morning after a report someone fired several shots outside a home east of Centralia and then took off in a dark sport utility vehicle.
Ronald L. Orr – accused of firing several shots from a vehicle – waits to be returned to the jail after his bail is set at $150,000.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office initially described the incident as two guys who thought it would be funny to scare guests at a friend’s birthday party by driving by his home on the 1700 block of Big Hanaford Road and firing several shots from a 22 caliber pistol.
Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said those involved were friends.
Charging documents state that Butterworth told deputies he’s good friends with the neighbor Thomas Denegar and had been invited to his party, and that he and Orr were at Butterworth’s home across the street and then decided to play a joke.
The documents give the following account of what Butterworth said happened: They pulled into Denegar’s driveway and shined a light into the residence.
Then they pulled down the road by a barn and Orr fired a 22 pistol into the brush several times.
As they drove down Big Hanaford Road, Butterworth saw David Brosius’ vehicle behind them and knew Denegar was with him.
Orr thought it would be funny to scare them again and fired more shots from his pistol out the passenger window, according to Butterworth.
The vehicle behind them backed off, Butterworth said.
The documents give the following account of what Brosius and Denegar, both 28 years old, told deputies: They were at Denegar’s home when they saw a light shining into the residence so they went outside. They heard a vehicle and approximately five shots.
“Brosius stated they all went to the ground out of fear of being shot,” the documents relate.
The two got in Brosius’ vehicle and followed, and as they approached Teitzel Road, they saw the passenger lean out the window and fire several more shots.
“Brosius stated it appeared the shots were being fired directly at them by the way the muzzle flashed,” the documents state. They backed off.
Law enforcement officers found three fired 22 caliber casings in the roadway on the 400 block of Big Hanford Road, and one on the edge of the roadway near the barn as Butterworth had described, according to the documents.
A search of the vehicle turned up a Ruger 22/45 pistol, a rifle and a revolver. The Ruger had a .22 caliber round in the chamber.
When the two were questioned, Butterworth stated they knew they screwed up. Orr told deputies they were sitting outside Butterworth’s house when they heard the shots, and they got in a vehicle to go investigate. Orr denied ever shooting a firearm from the vehicle. They were booked into jail.
When the two arrestees were brought before a judge yesterday afternoon, lawyers noted neither has any felony criminal history.
Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke said she understood one of the alleged victims didn’t want Butterworth prosecuted and reached out to him offering to take care of his home and his dog.
Judge James Lawler set his bail at $100,000. He set Orr’s bail at $150,000.
O’Rourke noted that the two work at the same place, but the judge signed a no contact order between them.
The offenses they are charged with each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
Their arraignments are scheduled for Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court.
•••
For background, read “News brief: Prank with gun not so funny” from Monday June 1, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I’m familiar with one of the young men who were arrested, and I guarantee you that alcohol was involved. I hope they throw the book at the idiots.
I’m surprised they’re not getting charged with assault with a deadly weapon. I see no mention of alcohol at all; I would find that hard to believe that there would be none involved.
I hope Lewis County court takes this as serious as it really is. These are the people giving anti gun activists their twisted thoughts on gun control and safety. They should be punished to the full extent of the law. Joke gone bad or not, the second amendment is a right – people want their rights respected correct??? Then people should respect their own rights as well. Giving these men a slap on the wrist is not going to set any kind of example for the community on the punishments givin to people who break the law in this manner. All around today you hear of police brutality and killings left and right. Let me ask you a question. If you were a police officer doing your job to protect and serve would you not think twice at every situation presented when these two are nothing compared to what’s really out there everyday. You would be on edge 24/7 watching everybody’s every move never knowing when someone is going to try and pull a quick one. This may have been a joke gone bad, they may not have prior convictions, but, that is not the damn point! If we as Americans want to be respected we need to respect the world around us and running around negligently discharging a firearm out of your vehicle is not anywhere close to any form of respect. What if there were kids playing hide and seek in the dark? Or an old couple on a late night walk not dressed very bright. These to should be punished and I write this hoping someone with the authority or outreach will make this point heard by someone high enough to not let this slip by and give society that much more of a reason to be fearful of their surroundings. They should be imprisoned with a adequate amount of time to rethink the way they can conduct themselves in today’s world. I am a proud gun owner and concealed carrier and the looks I and others like me get from frightful or uneducated citizens may not be fully from cases like this but every single case involving guns takes its toll on our societies view on firearms. I for one can vividly recall times in my childhood of my mother or friends parents stating things like “be careful out there tonight, you never know when somebody could just start shooting for no reason and you could get shot”. Kids brush things like that off, but cases like this prove 100% that their are dangers like that around. Without consequences what is there to stop the next joke from going bad but this time an innocent child is killed?