A Vancouver man who prosecutors say was involved in a June gunfight over stolen drugs in Vancouver’s Arnada neighborhood appeared Friday in Clark County Superior Court.
Nathan L. Pierce, 32, is facing charges of first-degree assault, drive-by shooting, first-degree robbery and two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. His bail was set at $150,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 2.
Vancouver police responded at 12:04 a.m. June 11 to the area of East 11th and C streets for reports of gunshots heard. Officers arrived to find an unoccupied car on East 20th Street with multiple bullet holes in it. They also found two firearms, one by the car and one in the front yard of a nearby house, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A woman told officers the man she lives with was in an argument with Pierce before she heard gunshots, court records state.
The vehicle police found with bullet holes in it reportedly belonged to Pierce. When searching the car, detectives found items inside with Pierce’s name on them. They also found a firearm and ammunition inside the car, according to the affidavit.
On June 24, investigators searched the phone of Jay Spang, in connection with a different case, when they found messages with Pierce around the time of the shooting. Pierce reportedly sent Spang his location shortly after the shooting, which detectives say showed he was at the house where one of the guns was found, court records state.
On June 29, police received an anonymous tip that Pierce had told the tipster about a shooting over drugs, and he said his car was disabled by gunfire, according to the affidavit.
Detectives spoke with Spang, who said Pierce asked him to pick him up on the night of the shooting. Spang reportedly told them that Pierce said he’d robbed a man of drugs using the man’s firearm. He also reportedly said Pierce told him the man came after him and shot at him, disabling his car outside of the man’s house, court records state.
Pierce then told Spang that he’d dropped the gun he used before Spang picked him up, the affidavit states.
Pierce’s criminal history shows he has previous felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms, according to the affidavit.
