LCSO arrests man in Creswell property damage
CRESWELL – Deputy Amy Nixon of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged Thomas Dale Young, 29, of Junction City on Saturday, Jan. 1, with two counts of Burglary 2, Aggravated Theft 1, four counts Criminal Mischief 2, and two counts Attempted Burglary 2. The charges stem from the Dec. 11 events involving Fast Mart on Oregon Avenue, Blue Valley Bistro on Melton Road, Patty’s on Oregon Avenue, and the B&B Lounge on Highway 99.
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SPD safely arrests man who shot fireworks at them
SPRINGFIELD – Darrell Long, 56, of Springfield, was arrested and charged Sunday, Jan. 2, after he had opened fire on police officers, lighting and aiming fireworks at law enforcement who responded to a disturbance call in downtown.
Long, who is in police custody but is being treated at a local hospital for a pre-existing unrelated medical condition, will be lodged at the Lane County Jail as soon as he is medically cleared.
He is charged with Attempted Assault 2 x 5, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Destructive Device, Assault on a Police Officer, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
On Sunday morning around 6:45 a.m., SPD officers arrived and witnessed commercial-grade mortar type fireworks exploding. As Officers began approaching the subject, he turned the fireworks towards the Officers.
Long began lighting fireworks and shooting them toward officers and patrol cars. He transitioned to lighting them by hand and lobbing them at individual officers and under a patrol car. Officers were struck by portions of the exploding fireworks and the concussion of the explosions impacted their hearing.
Long made statements that he wanted the officers to shoot him. Officers continued to communicate with him and utilized less-lethal tools to safely take him into custody.
