A man accused of brandishing a gun during a confrontation with a group of dirt bikers last summer north of Washougal entered guilty pleas Thursday in Clark County Superior Court.
Darrin K. Diegel, 48, entered a Newton plea — acknowledging that a jury could find him guilty of a crime but not admitting to guilt — to the unlawful display of a weapon and aiming or discharging a firearm. Both charges are gross misdemeanors that each carry a penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Diegel initially faced a charge of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, but that charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Jered Parker was riding his dirt bike with friends near Jones Creek on July 26 when Diegel confronted the group for trespassing on his property. Parker said Diegel fired several shots at him, but he was not hit. He dropped the bike and took cover on the ground, he said.
Video posted online
The confrontation was captured on video and was posted to Facebook on July 27 by one of the bikers. The footage shows a man, later identified by police as Diegel, holding a pistol and using profane language, warning the riders to leave his property.
Diegel was arrested later that week following an investigation by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
In earlier reports, it was unclear if the dirt bikers were trespassing or were on public land. Deputy Prosecutor Aaron Bartlett said Thursday that it appears the riders were on Diegel’s property.
Diegel will be sentenced June 10 and will remain out of custody until then.
Bartlett said the prosecution will recommend he serve 90 days in jail, but Diegel may be able to serve the sentence through the jail’s work release program. The program allows inmates to work outside in the community and be confined when they’re not at work.
The defense can argue for a lesser sentence.
