A transient man suspected of assaulting his girlfriend and pointing a gun at a man who tried to intervene made a first appearance in Clark County Superior Court on Monday.
Joseph F. White, 31, was arrested Sunday at Leverich Park on suspicion of first-degree assault and second-degree assault-domestic violence. The incident prompted Vancouver police to close the park for about an hour Sunday afternoon as they searched for White.
Officers were dispatched to the park, 4401 Leverich Park Way, at about 2:30 p.m. for a report of a disturbance with a firearm. Regina Aunspaugh told police she witnessed a man, later identified as White, point a gun at another man, Harvey Cross. She said Cross had attempted to intervene in a physical altercation between White and his girlfriend. White was allegedly choking her, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Cross told police that after he broke up the altercation, he and White exchanged words. White then allegedly walked to the parking lot, grabbed a backpack from a vehicle and pointed a gun at Cross’ face. White reportedly said, “Do you want me to kill you? It’s a good day to die? What, do you want to die?” He then put the gun back in his backpack and ran farther into the park with his girlfriend, court records said.
