Wanted felon who had threatened family shot outside victim’s apartment
REDDING, Calif. — Authorities say a wanted felon with an outstanding warrant for making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, and domestic violence was shot by a father trying to protect his girlfriend and three young children at their Redding residence early Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 23.
The suspect who was shot was known to the family and had recently threatened to shoot the gunman’s girlfriend and children, Redding Police Sergeant Todd Cogle later said of the incident and ongoing investigation.
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City of Redding police officers responded to the 700 block of Kerryjen Court shortly before 6 p.m., after receiving reports of shots being fired, according to Cogle.
When officers arrived they located multiple bullet impacts to the east wall of the apartments at 729 Kerryjen Court. Based on evidence at the scene, officers determined the shots had been fired from inside an apartment at 753 Kerryjen Court.
Officers who responded to reports of a shooting on Kerryjen Court in Redding found five rounds had been fired from inside one of the apartments when the occupants spotted a man looking through their window. The man, who had a felony warrant for his arrest, had previously threatened to shoot the occupants of the apartment, according to officials. RPD photo
While searching for witnesses and possible victims officers spotted 46-year-old, Larry Jerdell Watts, of Redding, urinating on a sidewalk near where the shooting had occurred and contacted him.
While speaking with Watts, officers noticed he had a non life-threatening bullet wound to his upper right leg, which he did not mention when contacted by officers and had not requested medical assistance for.
“It appeared to officers that Watts was attempting to conceal the wound and leave the scene as he had placed a towel down in the front seat of his vehicle which was nearby,” explained Cogle.
Officers rendered medical aid to Watts until an ambulance arrived and transported him to Mercy Medical Center for treatment.
As their investigation continued, officers contacted the occupants where the gunshots had been fired and learned the apartment was occupied by a family of five, including a couple and their three young children.
The male occupant of the apartment, 29-year-old, Michael Noel Pierson admitted to firing multiple rounds at Watts after observing him looking through his front window “and making a motion as if he was producing a weapon or taking a shooters stance,” Cogle explained.
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Pierson told investigating officers that Watts was known to him and had history with his family, and that the man had “recently threatened to shoot Pierson’s girlfriend and her children,” the Sergeant continued.
When Pierson spotted Watts standing outside his home, he turned off the lights to the apartment and had his terrified girlfriend take shelter in a rear bedroom with the three children.
“Pierson watched Watts through the patchwork of blinds covering the front window to the apartment,” Cogle explained; adding, “Based on the previous threats, Pierson had expected that Watts might try to harm him or his family.”
“When (Pierson) observed Watts taking a shooters stance in front of the window, he fired multiple rounds in the direction of Watts,” Cogle explained; adding, “Watts vanished from view and Pierson told his girlfriend to call police.”
Nobody inside Pierson’s apartment was injured during the encounter and officers recovered five spent shell casings inside the victim’s residence.
Officers determined that Pierson legally possessed the firearm used in the shooting and confirmed nobody else had been hit or injured in the incident.
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Watts was later interviewed at the hospital regarding the shooting and acknowledged having a previous dispute with Pierson’s girlfriend, but denied making any threats.
He also admitted to approaching Pierson’s apartment prior to the shooting but denied that he was there to do any harm to the Piersons, according to Cogle.
At the time of this report, Watts was still hospitalized in stable condition.
Pierson was not arrested and the investigation is ongoing. When completed, the investigation of the shooting will be forwarded to the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office for review, said Cogle.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Redding Police Department at (530)225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 20R083697 and can remain anonymous.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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