PORT ANGELES — A Sequim man accused of shooting at law enforcement last June and referring to himself as Jesus had his felony charges dismissed without prejudice with the intention of having him civilly committed to Western State Hospital.
Justin Cox, 37, was arrested June 17 after he allegedly used an AK-47 assault rifle to shoot at law enforcement officers while they were inside armored vehicles on the 200 block of Village Lane. He’s also accused of threatening to kill a Clallam County Sheriff’s deputy.
Law enforcement and state employees said Cox referred to himself as Jesus or Yahweh and wouldn’t respond to his first name.
While in custody at the Clallam County jail, he refused to appear in court.
Two 90-day restoration orders were issued during the summer and fall for Cox to undergo treatment to restore his competency in order to be prosecuted.
However, Clallam County Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart agreed to dismiss Cox’s charges without prejudice last month and have him tentatively receive civil commitment following Cox’s most recent inpatient forensic evaluation.
County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin wrote via email that state Attorney General Nick Brown’s office handles civil commitments in Pierce County and will receive Cox’s case and petition the court for a civil commitment.
“The process is a civil matter and may last until he is no longer eligible for a commitment; when he’s no longer deemed a danger to himself or others,” Devlin wrote.
Cox’s six counts of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, harassment with threats to kill, reckless endangerment, first-degree malicious mischief, resisting arrest and obstruction of law enforcement were dismissed without prejudice and upon Cox’s release from the civil commitment.
Devlin said the case could be refiled.
Court documents state Cox was found incompetent to understand the nature of the proceedings against himself or assist in his own defense, and “unlikely to regain competency in a reasonable period of time.”
Devlin and Harry Gasnick, on behalf of public defender Charlie Commeree, agreed to the commitment recommendation.
Dr. Erika Canales, a forensic evaluator, wrote on Dec. 17 that Cox “currently does not possess the capacity to meaningfully assist in his own defense or understand the proceedings against him with a reasonable degree of rational understanding.”
She also said that “there does not appear to be a substantial likelihood of him restoring to competency with additional time in the hospital” and did not recommend another period of restoration.
Canales’ evaluation stated that Cox’s level of dangerousness or reoffending is elevated compared to the general population, and that he suffers from unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and methamphetamine use disorder, in early remission in a controlled environment.
According to court documents, Cox has a religious preoccupation and continues to refer to himself as Jesus.
Incident report
Clallam County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded about 8 a.m. June 17 to a disturbance on the 200 block of Village Lane, where they discovered Cox had barricaded himself inside a residence.
The situation led the Peninsula Crisis Response Team to activate, and nearby residents were asked to leave or shelter in place. Crisis negotiators, a K-9 unit, drones and two armored vehicles were on the scene for the incident, the Sheriff’s Office said.
After negotiations were attempted and the resident left the home, Cox allegedly fired at law enforcement, striking two homes and one of the armored vehicles, including a ballistic windshield valued at about $10,000, according to court documents.
After non-lethal gas munitions were launched into the home, Cox ran out of the house unarmed and was tackled and arrested, law enforcement said.
Cox was transported to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles and sedated after he became belligerent. Upon his discharge, sheriff deputies carried and forced him into the back of a patrol car after he refused to walk.
Cox was not allowed to possess a firearm. His previous convictions include second-degree assault, third-degree assault, two residential burglaries, possession of stolen property, two charges of second-degree theft, 14 gross misdemeanors and three misdemeanors.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.
