Man arrested for target shooting alongside road in Moses Lake
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 3 weeks AGO
An 87-year-old man was arrested by Moses Lake Police Dept. Thursday afternoon for target shooting near Love’s Truck Stop with a stolen firearm.
FILE PHOTO
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Dept. received a report Thursday afternoon alleging a man had a gun on Pritchard Road, next to Love’s Truck Stop, according to a statement from MLPD.
A Washington State Patrol Trooper arrived first to the scene and contacted the man. Soon after, an MLPD officer joined the trooper.
According to MLPD, the subject, an 87-year-old man, was driving from Montana and stopped on the side of the road to practice target shooting. The subject, Phillip Lewis Griffin, decided the road, within the city, next to the freeway and downrange from a neighborhood was a good place to practice.
Through investigation, officers discovered the firearm he was using was stolen, according to MLPD. Officers seized the gun and makeshift target as evidence. Griffin was booked into Grant County Jail by MLPD for reckless endangerment, aiming or discharging a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm, according to the Grant County Jail roster.
“Right now, with the fire danger, a lot of the public areas are closed to target shooting," MLPD Captain Mike Williams said. "I am all for people going to shoot. But make sure you're doing it in a safe location that has a good strong backdrop, so you're confident where your rounds are going."
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