Crime

Son surrenders after threatening mom but not before making breakfast, say Richland police

Richland police surrounded a trailer on the 600 block of Columbia Park Trail Saturday morning after a 34-year-old man pushed down his mother and held a gun to her head.
Richland police surrounded a trailer on the 600 block of Columbia Park Trail Saturday morning after a 34-year-old man pushed down his mother and held a gun to her head. Richland Police Department

A 34-year-old man threatened his mother with a gun before starting an hour-and-a-half long standoff with police Saturday, said Richland police.

He eventually surrendered but not before making himself breakfast.

The problems reportedly started when Christopher Leonard allegedly pushed his mother and then held a pistol to her head shortly after 10 a.m. in a trailer at the Desert Gold Motel and RV Park on Columbia Park Trail, said police.

She escaped and called police, Richland police Lt. Christopher Lee said.

Along with the pistol, Leonard also had access to two rifles. Officers surrounded the home and began negotiating with Leonard.

They evacuated nearby homes and the Tri-City Regional SWAT Team was called to help.

After more than an hour, he surrendered to police and was booked into Benton County jail, Lee said.

This story was originally published January 26, 2019 at 10:59 AM.

CP
Cameron Probert
Tri-City Herald
Cameron Probert covers breaking news for the Tri-City Herald, where he tries to answer reader questions about why police officers and firefighters are in your neighborhood. He studied communications at Washington State University.https://mycheckout.tri-cityherald.com/subscribe?ofrgp_id=394&g2i_or_o=Event&g2i_or_p=Reporter&cid=news_cta_0.99-1mo-15.99-on-article_202404
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