Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police troopers negotiated with an armed felon from California for more than 15 minutes Saturday afternoon on North Yachats River Road before arresting him on a variety of charges.
Michael G. Richie, 37, of Forestville, Calif. is in the Lincoln County Jail on accusations of first-degree burglary, being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon, carrying concealed weapons, criminal trespass, theft and criminal mischief. Bail is $232,000.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to a reported burglary in the 1200 block of North Yachats River Road about 12:20 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 after someone called to report smoke coming from a yurt that was not supposed to be occupied. The caller also said there was a black pickup truck parked near the yurt.
When deputies arrived, the sheriff’s office said they discovered someone had cut and dropped trees across the driveway, blocking access by vehicle.
Two state police troopers responded to assist the deputies. Inside the yurt they found several edged weapons, a bow and arrow, and pellet gun.
After doing a records search on a nearby Toyota Tacoma, they learned it was a vehicle of interest belonging to a man named in a recent officer safety bulletin from Santa Rosa, Calif. The sheriff’s office did not say why the alert was issued, but sometimes it is an advisory that officers’ lives have been threatened or other times it is a warning that an armed and dangerous person is in the area.
Deputies and troopers decided to back off and called in the sheriff’s police dog and her handler. As they waited, the sheriff’s office said deputies saw a man with a bow and arrow walk out of a wooded area and recognized him as the subject of the bulletin.
Deputies issued commands for the man to drop the weapon and put his hands up. The man put down the bow and arrow, but the sheriff’s office said deputies could see he had other weapons and felt they could not safely approach him.
Deputies and troopers negotiated with the man for another 15 minutes until he finally surrendered, the sheriff’s office said.
