Centralia man accused of wielding realistic-looking BB pistol faces felony charges

Emily Fitzgerald, The Chronicle, Centralia, Wash.
·2 min read

May 13—A Centralia man accused of pulling a realistic-looking BB pistol on another man during a dispute on Thursday, May 9, was charged Monday with felony harassment and second-degree assault.

The victim reported he was walking home on Harrison Avenue on May 9 when he observed two women and a man across the street who "appeared to be arguing," according to charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court. The man, who was later identified as Kyle Houghton, 24, allegedly approached the victim, pulled out what appeared to be a black Glock pistol and said, "run your pockets," according to court documents.

The victim later told law enforcement "he thought the male wanted him to empty his pockets" and said "felt scared and that anything could have happened."

The victim reported he put out his arm and said, "Dude, just chill out man, c'mon," then walked away. Houghton reportedly continued in the opposite direction.

A responding officer with the Centralia Police Department identified Houghton as the suspect based on the victim's description and the fact that the officer "knew Mr. Houghton to have a BB or pellet gun that looked like a Glock pistol," according to court documents.

Houghton reportedly denied any involvement when questioned by officers on May 9, saying he had been inside the dorms at Centralia College for the last few hours. He did allegedly admit to owning a Glock BB pistol.

When asked "if someone was going to identify him as the male who pulled out a gun," Houghton allegedly "stated there was an argument with a male wearing a multi-colored sweatshirt," which is what the officer noted the victim was wearing at the time of the incident.

Houghton then allegedly admitted to walking up to the victim and said the victim "had something that resembled a Sharpie or a baton in his hand, and that it looked like something he could poke him with," according to court documents. He allegedly admitted to pulling out his BB pistol, holding it "at the low-ready" and saying, "I'll run your chin into the ground," according to court documents.

When asked why he pointed the BB pistol at the victim, Houghton allegedly said "it was in self-defense." The officer reportedly "asked Mr. Houghton how he would feel if someone he did not know was following him, and he said 'good point,' " according to court documents.

An officer noted the BB pistol "appeared completely real" and said "the only way to tell it was a BB pistol was to pull the slide back or to remove the magazine."

Houghton was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at noon on May 10, according to jail records.

Charges were filed on Monday, May 13.

Bail was set at $15,000.