Threats at church lead to arrest; guns found in vehicle and home
By Robert Desaulniers
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ELLENSBURG, Washington (KAPP) — An investigation is underway after a person made threats at a church and guns were found in their vehicle and home on Sunday, Ellensburg police said.
According to the Ellensburg Police Department, at about 2 p.m. on March 1, police heard two people made threatening statements in a church and guns may be involved. Officers said they arrived to find a man and a woman from Moses Lake who had recently begun visiting the church. Officers said they were told the woman appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis and had threatened to harm people at the church.
Police said church staff and two patrons confirmed the man was armed with a handgun and had a rifle in his vehicle that had been modified to fire in a fully-automatic fashion. Police said the man cooperated with church staff and surrendered the guns to them. Church staff later turned those weapons over to law enforcement.
Police said the man was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm, and the woman was detained for a mental health evaluation. Detectives searched a home in Moses Lake and found another gun as well as ammunition. Police said the man is being held on $1 million bail, and additional charges may be pending. Police said an investigation is ongoing, but there is no threat to the public.
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