PORT ANGELES — A 24-year-old Port Angeles man was being held Wednesday in the Clallam County jail for investigation of second-degree assault domestic violence, resisting arrest and obstructing a law enforcement officer following a one-hour, 45-minute standoff at a residence east of Port Angeles.
Jackson T. May remained in jail in lieu of $50,000 bail on Wednesday. His next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 23.
Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies were called Tuesday night to a third-hand report of domestic violence in the 3000 block of East Mahogany Street, 1½ miles east of Port Angeles, according to a press release by Sgt. John Keegan.
Deputies met the alleged victim at a safe location nearby and developed probable cause to arrest May for second-degree strangulation, Keegan said in the release.
A search warrant was granted to arrest May at the residence and at about 11 p.m., four deputies and one Port Angeles police officer attempted to serve the warrant. They had been told there was a firearm in the house.
May fled and barricaded himself in an upstairs bedroom, according to the press release.
While deputies and the officer attempted to negotiate with May, he threatened to shoot any law enforcement officer who entered the residence, law enforcement said.
Just after midnight, a second Port Angeles police officer, trained in deployment of chemical munitions, arrived. At 12:30 a.m., and after several warnings, the officer deployed three canisters of oleoresin capsicum (OC) into the residence, Keegan said.
After the third round, May told law enforcement that if they did that again, he was going to shoot back, Keegan said in the release.
A fourth round was deployed nine minutes later and May agreed to surrender, he said.
No firearm was located during the search, Keegan said. May’s criminal history included a 2017 felony conviction for second-degree burglary.
Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart on Wednesday set bail based upon May’s four failure-to-appear warrants between 2017 and 2020, the “prolonged and violent attack,” the comments about shooting law enforcement officers and refusing to come out of the residence without threats.
Barnhart also told the visibly distraught May that a lot of people were concerned about his well-being and agreed with public defender Karen Unger that an evaluation was necessary.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at brian.gawley@soundpublishing.com.
