Homeless man headed to prison for shooting at Tri-Cities officers
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jose A. Herrera pleaded guilty to robbery and assault Tuesday
- He shot at a man then officers, prompting an hour‑long standoff near the airport.
- Police believe he was homeless and on drugs at the time.
A homeless man suspected of being on drugs when he shot at police officers during a carjacking attempt is headed to prison.
Jose Antonio Herrera, 38, caused an hour-long standoff in a field near the Tri-Cities Airport in January 2025 when he fired a shot at a man while walking on Road 36 North, then tried to steal a car.
When Franklin County deputies and Pasco police officers arrived, he shot at them.
Herrera entered a guilty plea Tuesday in Franklin County Superior Court on two counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon and one count of first-degree robbery.
He was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison followed by 18 months of community supervision once he is released. He will get credit for time served since the shooting last January.
The sentence includes 56 months for the assault charges, plus 20 months for the weapons enhancement and 51 months for the robbery charge, all to be served concurrently.
He was not charged for possession of methamphetamine.
Carjacking attempt
Herrera was walking on the 3700 block of Road 36 North about noon on Jan. 20, 2025, when he allegedly randomly fired at a man, Franklin County sheriff Commander Marcus Conner told the Tri-City Herald at the time.
The gunshot alerted a homeowner who came out to investigate. Herrera then allegedly threatened the homeowner and demanded his car keys, said Conner.
A brief distraction diverted Herrera’s attention long enough for the homeowner to get into the house, Conner said.
Herrera then ran through a vacant field north of the Tri-Cities Airport, according to court documents. Deputies followed him, coming from the north and city police officers arrived from the south.
As officers worked to surround him, Herrera allegedly fired a round at them. An unnamed Pasco police officer returned fire, Conner said.
No one was hurt in the exchange, but a bullet damaged a patrol car.
Deputies and officers were joined by the Tri-Cities Regional SWAT team, and about an hour later, Herrera surrendered. Police allegedly found he had meth on him, but it’s not known if Herrera was high at the time.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation of the robbery. The Regional Special Investigation Unit handled the officer-involved shooting.
The unit with officers from Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties investigates shootings involving officers.
