Man’s ear ‘nearly separated’ after being hit with butt of shotgun at Richland park
A Tri-Cities suspect is accused of hitting another man in the head with the butt of a shotgun so hard that it nearly took his ear off.
The assault happened at “Top of the World Park” just before midnight on Jan. 3.
Richland police were called to Kadlec Regional Medical Center where the 20-year-old victim was being treated for a large cut across the upper half of his right ear, according to court documents.
Officers wrote that the cut was so severe it nearly separated the two halves of his ear. The victim was uncooperative, but the caller told officers a man at the park had pointed a shotgun at the victim before hitting him in the head with it and leaving in a silver truck.
Police were able to identify the man as 20-year-old Garrett John Poynor of Richland. They tracked the truck to a parking lot behind Yoke’s Fresh Market.
The victim’s friend identified Poynor as the man who assaulted his friend, said the documents. Police also saw a matching shotgun on the floor of the back seat of Poynor’s truck.
The documents do not say what led to the assault or if the men knew each other.
Poynor was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault and booked into the Benton County jail. He released Monday evening after posting a $20,000 bond.
Prosecutors argued that despite his young age and lack of criminal history, the alleged crime was serious enough that they believe Poynor represented a danger to the community.
Top of the World Park is a nickname for Glenwood Overlook Park in south Richland. It was closed to vehicles in 2022 after a rash of crime at the park that included shootings and vandalism.
