Man accused of stealing gun, firing into ex’s house, then fleeing from Tri-Cities police
A 31-year-old man struggling with mental health issues is accused of stealing a gun in Kennewick this week, firing a shot into his ex-girlfriend’s home and then leading police on a chase.
The trouble began at a Kennewick home where Robert K. Cleek of Richland was staying temporarily because his apartment had burned, court documents said.
His friend told investigators Cleek had been in the hospital recently after a suicide attempt, court documents said.
Cleek allegedly pried his way into a gun safe in the friend’s closet, taking a 9 mm pistol and two magazines of ammunition, said the documents.
He allegedly took the gun to his ex-girlfriend’s Richland home on Douglas Avenue on Tuesday. He had dated the woman for about two years and lived with her and her daughter.
She told investigators Cleek started talking about suicide and told her about the gun he’d taken.
When she told him to leave, Cleek pointed the gun at her but he left when she threatened to call police.
Once outside, Cleek allegedly fired a shot about 8:30 p.m. through the living room window while she and her daughter were both in the room.
Cleek later told detectives he didn’t remember shooting into the house, but he did remember the gun going off. He then drove off.
A West Richland police officer tracked the red Ford Mustang through Richland and into West Richland. As he was being followed, Cleek called 911 to say he planned die by suicide if he was pulled over.
The officer signaled for him to pull over but Cleek refused, heading south about 9:30 p.m. on Bombing Range Road.
While officers forced the Mustang to spin out, but Cleek regained control and led the officers on a chase, reaching up to 70 mph in the 35-mph speed limit zone. He also managed to avoided spike strips that officers tried to use to damage his tires, said court documents.
Eventually he drove off an embankment on Dallas Road near Badger Road, where officers convinced him to surrender the gun and give himself up.
Cleek appeared in Benton County Superior Court on Wednesday by video from the jail. He’s being held in lieu of $300,000 on suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault, attempting to elude police, stealing a gun, and possessing a stolen gun.
Deputy Prosecutor Tyler Grandgeorge asked for the bail amount based on the concern for community safety. He also said that Cleek had a previous felony conviction in Missouri.
He’s due back in court Jan. 23.