PORT ANGELES — A Sequim man has been charged for allegedly setting fire to a van at the Longhouse Market before crashing a stolen vehicle into a State Patrol truck, injuring an officer.
David Scott Johnson, 40, was charged Monday with single counts of first-degree arson, second-degree assault, first-degree attempted robbery, theft of a motor vehicle and two counts of second-degree malicious mischief.
He will be arraigned at 9 a.m. Friday in Clallam County Superior Court.
Johnson, who appeared confused in his first two court appearances late last week, remained silent during a one-minute hearing Monday for the filing of criminal information. The charges were not recited in court but were later provided by the Superior Court Clerk’s Office.
Johnson is being held in the Clallam County jail on $1 million bail.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office alleged that Johnson pointed a fuel pump nozzle at Longhouse customers, brandished a lighter and threatened to set the business on fire at about 9:15 a.m. last Tuesday.
“I’ll burn it down,” Johnson was alleged to have said.
“I’m serious, I’ll light it up.”
Video surveillance showed a suspect later identified as Johnson having a verbal exchange with other customers before reaching down and setting fire to gasoline with a Bic lighter, deputies said.
The interior fabric and steering wheel of a van were damaged by flames, according to the affidavit for probable cause.
Johnson then allegedly stole a white Ford F-350 pickup, cut off several vehicles as he swerved out of the Longhouse parking lot, and headed east on U.S. Highway 101 into Jefferson County, Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputy Marc Titterness said in the affidavit.
About 13 minutes later, Johnson crashed the full-size pickup into a State Patrol vehicle enforcement truck south of Discovery Bay, injuring 55-year-old Alfred L. Alderson, investigators said.
Alderson and Johnson each were treated and discharged from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle last week.
Johnson also faces potential charges in Jefferson County.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
