Suspected arsonist arraigned on assault with a weapon charge

A Eureka man accused of threatening a couple with a handgun in August pleaded not guilty in Lincoln County District Court on Nov. 16.

Leroy Robert Morris, 67, faces a single felony count of assault with a weapon following the Aug. 14 incident. He was released on his own recognizance.

Authorities say the alleged confrontation occurred during a spate of disturbances and suspected arsons in north Lincoln County over the summer. Morris came to the attention of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office after he allegedly tried to drive home intoxicated with firearms in his vehicle in late July.

On July 27, authorities responded to his property investigating a report that he was shooting in an unsafe manner at a homemade range. Morris allegedly showed up drunk at a fire near Sinclair Creek and Pomeroy Trail on Aug. 11. Fire crews working the blaze told authorities that Morris expressed “extreme views” during the interaction.

The handgun incident occurred four days later near Therriault Pass Road. Property owners in the area heard gunshots, shouting and the sound of a chainsaw emanating from the edge of their property, according to an affidavit filed by Deputy Maury McKinney.

Investigating the noise — the two reported thefts and property damage in the past year — the couple came across Morris.

Upon being discovered, Morris pulled out a handgun and began yelling obscenities, McKinney wrote. He vulgarly told them to leave the scene and leveled the handgun at one of the victims.

According to court documents, authorities swung by Morris’ home the following day. His wife told them he was out collecting firewood near Wolf Creek. That day, fire crews extinguished a wildfire in the same area.

Still, Morris arranged an interview with law enforcement personnel after returning from Wolf Creek that afternoon. He admitted to confronting the property owners near Therriault Pass Road, but denied pointing a firearm, court documents said.

He did admit to carrying a pistol during the incident. According to an affidavit written by Deputy Bo Pitman, Morris said that “in these times” he was carrying a firearm more often than naught.

He also expressed frustration with being confronted on public land. He discussed as well the end of the world with Pitman, court documents said.

On Aug. 19, first responders returned to the Therriault Pass Road area for a fire. They discovered a paint can full of flammable materials not far from where the confrontation with Morris occurred.

On Aug. 21, another wildfire was reported near state Highway 37 and Camp 32 Road. A deputy following Morris on Aug. 28 found two fir trees ablaze near where he stopped.

Deputies arrested Morris without incident during an Aug. 29 traffic stop.

In late August, Morris was brought up on six counts of arson in a separate case. Prosecutors have since charged him with 12 counts of arson. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

An omnibus hearing is scheduled for Jan. 25 with a pretrial conference to follow on March 1. Were the case to go to trial, it would begin April 12.