By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Mossyrock man whose gunfire while deputies were outside his home drew a SWAT response over the weekend pleaded not guilty yesterday to fourth-degree assault, reckless endangerment and third-degree malicious mischief in Lewis County District Court.
When James C. Long was arrested early Sunday morning after a standoff that began on Saturday night, he was also booked for a violation of the firearms sales and transfers law for using his girlfriend’s gun, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
However, a judge did not find there was probable cause to hold him for that charge.
It was the first time the sheriff’s office had made an arrest for a violation of the law that went into effect in December 2014, following the passage of Initiative I-594, according to sheriff’s Cmdr. Dusty Breen.
The measure applied existing criminal and public safety background checks by licensed dealers to all firearm sales and transfers, including gun shows and online sales, with certain exceptions.
Shortly after the controversial law was enacted, Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer and Lewis County Sheriff-Elect Rob Snaza announced they had no interest in portions of the law as it relates to transfers and otherwise law abiding citizens.
The events on Naylor Road southeast of Mossyrock began with a domestic argument over a malfunctioning heater and escalated when Long’s girlfriend found him with her revolver, tried to get it from him, and was shoved, according to the sheriff’s office.
She left and called 911 from a neighbor’s and her 73-year-old mother went back inside the house.
The sheriff’s office said Long fired multiple shots as his girlfriend was leaving. And after two deputies arrived, and were positioned on each side of the house, more rounds were fired, according to Breen.
Breen said the deputies heard the shots, with one deputy estimating it was three shots.
“He had broken out the window, we believe he had fired out the window,” Breen said. “But its a heavily wooded area and we weren’t able to find a clear path of the rounds.”
Nobody was struck by the gunfire and deputies fired no shots.
Breen said Long had been talking with them, but threw his phone outside and told the deputies to come get him.
They did. The 61-year-old was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
Long requested a court appointed lawyer at his hearing on Monday before Judge Wade Samuelson. His bail was set at $10,000.
Once an attorney files a notice of appearance on Long’s behalf, a pre-trial hearing will be set.
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For background, read “SWAT team summoned after armed Mossy man tells deputies to come and get him,” from Sunday April 3, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter