A homeowner who shot an alleged burglar on his property in September has been sentenced to five months in jail on weapons charges.
Donta Patterson, 30, pleaded guilty Thursday before Clark County Superior Court Judge Barbara Johnson to two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit delivery of a controlled substance.
Patterson had a previous fourth-degree assault domestic violence conviction that bars him from owning firearms, constituting the unlawful possession charges, said Deputy Prosecutor Kasey Vu.
A first-degree assault charge relating to the shooting was dismissed. To explain the dismissal, Vu cited the facts of the case: “There were people whom Patterson believed were burglarizing his home,” Vu said. “He confronted them, and during the confrontation, he and one of the alleged burglars both pulled out their firearms.”
According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the court, Patterson told investigators he was the middleman in a transaction for oxycodone between Nathan Rivers, Camille Langdon and an unnamed supplier. Patterson said the two didn’t like the type of oxycodone he sold them and wanted their money back.
“Donta told them that he was only the middleman, and they would have to contact the supplier to get their money back,” according to the affidavit signed by Vancouver police Detective Eric Swenson.
The next day, about 11:50 a.m. Sept. 9, Patterson said he noticed Rivers and Langdon inside the detached garage at his home in the 3500 block of East McLoughlin Boulevard. So he went to his bedroom to retrieve a handgun from under his bed, according to court documents.
Langdon and Rivers dropped the power drill they were carrying from the garage when confronted, but Rivers then allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Patterson’s head.
Patterson told investigators he shot Rivers in the face in self-defense.
Rivers and Langdon face criminal charges in connection to the case. Both have a trial date of Jan. 18.
