Wanted felon tried to face off with officer using a BB gun, police say

A wanted felon tried to threaten a Kennewick officer with a BB gun after a Tuesday afternoon chase.

Elijah Lull is in Benton County jail on an investigative hold for third-degree assault along with two felony warrants.

Kennewick police got a tip Lull was staying in a garage behind an Olson Street home shortly after 11 a.m., according to court records. A caller said he was riding a skateboard east on Fourth Avenue.

Officers initially caught sight of him near Fourth Avenue and Morain Street. After trying to catch up with him, he dodged officers and hid.

Police surrounded the area, and then Officer David Hughes saw Lull jump a fence. After a short chase, Hughes caught up with him in the yard of a home on the 3600 block, where the chase ended.

Hughes fired his Taser, and when it didn’t connect, Lull drew a BB gun he had holstered on his waist. He pointed it at the nearly 20-year veteran of Tri-Cities law enforcement.

Hughes reacted by pulling his firearm and warning the suspect to drop the weapon.

It wasn’t until Hughes fired in his direction that Lull dropped the BB gun, and then took out a cigarette before complying with officers.

No one was hurt

Detectives from the Tri-City Special Investigations Unit are leading the inquiry into the chase and shooting.

The regional team, comprised of various law enforcement agencies, is responsible for investigating officer-related shootings.

Hughes started with the Kennewick Police Department in 2015 after 15 years with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, according to Kennewick police.

In 2018, he became the school resource officer for Park and Horse Heaven Hills middle schools in 2018.

Lt. Aaron Clem said Tuesday that Hughes is now on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated.

This story was originally published July 17, 2019 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Wanted felon tried to face off with officer using a BB gun, police say."