PORT ANGELES — It started as a 9-1-1 report of .22 caliber gunfire on Friday afternoon.
The incident escalated with four youths staring down the barrels of police-issued handguns and a west Port Angeles house being searched top to bottom two days before Christmas.
It ended with two young boys being cited for discharging firecrackers and an 18-year-old woman being cited for possession of marijuana.
It also may not be over.
Joni Coffman, one of the boys’ mothers, said she has contacted a lawyer after spending a good part of Friday evening outside her house, watching as officers searched and then hauled away a safe.
“I can’t believe they pursued all this after they were told it was a firecracker,” Coffman said.
Drawing guns not unusual
Police responded to the 1000 block of West Madrona Street after receiving a report at 1:54 p.m. Friday that a youth was shooting a .22 caliber gun in a backyard.
When police arrived, they drew their weapons, which Deputy Chief Terry Gallagher said is not unusual.
“Age is irrelevant as to whether we pull guns going on a weapons call,” he said.
He said that the youths inside the house initially refused to come outside.
When they did, they were ordered to the ground, searched, handcuffed and placed in the back seat of two police cars.
Coffman said the youths were scared and crying, and were in the car for more than two hours.
“Now I don’t know what to do,” Coffman said.
“Christmas is all screwed up.”
