Kelso teen accused of pulling gun on officer
Friday, March 12, 2004 11:43 PM PST
By Leslie Slape
Printable version
E-mail this articlePolice are seeking a teenager considered "armed and dangerous" after he reportedly pointed a gun at a Longview officer attempting to arrest him.
The officer then fired a shot at the suspect, whom the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office has identified as Joshua R. Phillips of Kelso, who will turn 18 on March 18. It is unknown whether Phillips was hit by the bullet.
Chief Criminal Deputy Charlie Rosenzweig said anyone who sees Phillips should call 911 immediately.
"We believe he's still armed and could be dangerous," Rosenzweig said.
The sheriff's office and Longview and Kelso police are working together to locate Phillips. At the request of the Longview Police Department, the sheriff's office is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Rosenzweig said that around 3:30 a.m. Friday, Longview police attempted to stop a Honda CRX which had been stolen Wednesday in Kelso. Police chased the car from Longview over the Cowlitz Way Bridge into North Kelso, where it failed to make a turn from Bowmont Street onto Division Street and went off the road, Rosenzweig said.
At that point the driver, Phillips, got out of the car and pointed a handgun at the unidentified Longview officer, who fired at Phillips, Rosenzweig said.
"We believe at this point that Mr. Phillips was not struck," Rosenzweig said. "Of course he's still on the run, and we don't know for sure."
He said that investigators did not find the spent bullet or any blood.
Police questioned his passenger, a 17-year-old Kelso boy, and released him.
Rosenzweig said Phillips is wanted in connection with one count of second-degree assault, stemming from pointing a weapon at the officer Friday morning. He said Phillips also faces two counts of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of felony eluding.
Later Friday, police made a related arrest in the 800 block of North First Street, Kelso. Joshua Gene Roden, 18, Kelso, was booked into jail in lieu of $50,000 preliminary bail. A charge of felon in possession of a firearm is pending. The gun had been stolen in a burglary Thursday morning in the Castle Rock area, Rosenzweig said.
"We learned that Mr. Roden had been with Mr. Phillips earlier in the evening, which led us to the contact with Mr. Roden and the recovery of the stolen firearm," Rosenzweig said.
Phillips was last seen wearing a red hat, blue shirt, blue jeans, and an unknown colored jacket. He had a goatee.
Past Month's Most Commented Stories