Man accused of shooting gun outside restaurant appears in court

A Vancouver man accused of firing his gun outside a Chinese restaurant Saturday night made his first appearance Monday on suspicion of first-degree assault and felony harassment.

Clark County Superior Court Judge Rich Melnick set bail at $50,000 for Theron J. Dougal, 49, and appointed attorney Jeff Barrar to represent him.

Police allege Dougal fired his pistol at Gordon O’Leary while O’Leary was trying to break up an argument between Dougal and a friend outside the Tender Green Chinese Kitchen, 12329 N.E. Fourth Plain Road.

The situation surfaced when Dougal was patronizing the Tender Green’s bar and got into an argument with his friend, James Morgan. Dougal left the bar, but returned minutes later to apparently confront Morgan again.

“Gordon, who is a friend of James, stepped in to the cool the situation,” a probable cause affidavit said. “Gordon told Theron if he wanted (to fight with) James he had to ‘go through me.’ “

It wasn’t clear what caused the argument.

O’Leary later told a police officer Dougal pointed his black pistol at him and fired one shot, which whizzed “right over his ear,” according to court documents. The bullet hit the overhang of the building.

Officers recovered a .380-caliber slug at the scene. Dougal was arrested about 9:15 p.m.

He will be arraigned on criminal charges April 6.