VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - A Vancouver man who pointed a loaded handgun at Clark County sheriff’s deputies as they responded to a domestic disturbance in July 2019 was sentenced Wednesday to nearly five years in prison.
Clark County Superior Court Judge John Fairgrieve acknowledged that DeAngelo D. Clayton was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time and had made comments about wanting to die. But despite the mental health factor and Clayton’s remorsefulness, the judge said he could not find a reason to sentence him below the standard range and handed down a 58-month sentence, the Columbian reported.
“This was a very dangerous situation with you being armed with a loaded firearm,” Fairgrieve told the 44-year-old man. He said that if the deputies had opened fire, their actions likely would have been found legally justified.
“Fortunately for everybody, they didn’t. … They exercised substantial restraint,” the judge said.
Clayton apologized to the deputies, who did not appear to be present, stating that his refusal to take his medication put them and him in danger. He thanked them for handling the situation the way they did.
Clayton was found guilty by Fairgrieve during a bench trial in December of two counts of second-degree assault, with a deadly weapon enhancement, and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
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