A 50-year-old Hockinson man was in the Clark County Jail, with bail set at $250,000, on Thursday evening, one night after he allegedly fired a gun outside his home and was arrested by SWAT officers.
SWAT officers arrested Brett Croft after a three-hour standoff during which he allegedly hid in a tree with a handgun, then came down with the gun held to his chin and initially refused orders to surrender.
Croft was being held on suspicion of reckless endangerment and is to appear in court Sept. 27, a jail official said Thursday night,
Officers were called to Croft’s home on Northeast Davis Road, near Ward Road and 192nd Avenue, around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to a bulletin from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident was first reported to be minor but quickly escalated, officials said.
Deputies were told Croft drank alcohol and was trying to leave, with his wife outside trying to stop him. That’s when he allegedly fired two shots in an unknown direction, the bulletin said.
When officers arrived, Croft was in the tree with the gun. He later came down, still armed, and wasn’t complying with their verbal orders. Officers were also told he was suicidal, the release said.
Meanwhile, his wife and mother-in-law were locked in the home.
After three hours of negotiating, officials were able to get Croft to surrender his weapon without further incident.
No injuries were reported.
Police said he had no criminal or mental health history. He was allegedly not taking his medicine for depression Wednesday night.
