James Duane Deckard is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Yakima County Superior Court on those charges, as well as felony harassment, two counts of second-degree unlawful firearms possession, eluding, obstructing police, violating a protection order and witness tampering, according to court documents.
He also faces a charge of marijuana possession with intent to distribute after police found almost 40 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle.
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Police were first called to Deckard’s West Mead Avenue home about 10:55 p.m. Dec. 16, when his girlfriend reported that he had slapped her 4-year-old son’s wrist, according to a probable cause affidavit. She told officers that Deckard had also abused her on other occasions, including pointing a handgun at her and threatening to kill her.
Court records show Deckard was convicted in 2018 for third-degree assault for strangling and threatening to kill the woman.
Deckard was not at the house when police arrived, but police spotted his vehicle at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 18 and tried to stop him at West Nob Hill Boulevard and South Third Avenue. He sped off through residential streets, the affidavit said.
Police later found Deckard’s vehicle at East Nob Hill Boulevard and South Eighth Street, where officers said he had hit the fire engine. Deckard was arrested following a foot chase and his girlfriend was found in the car, the affidavit said.
Officers also found a pistol at the intersection of South First Avenue and Peach Street, where the affidavit said Deckard had thrown something out of the vehicle during the pursuit.
Investigators also found several plastic bags wrapped in tape in the vehicle’s dashboard where a car radio would go, the affidavit said. The bags contained 39.86 pounds of marijuana, and officers executing a search warrant also found a digital drug scale, pistol magazines, a holster and ammunition, the affidavit said, as well as gold and collectible coins.
While in jail, Deckard placed several phone calls to his girlfriend and family members attempting to persuade her to change her statements to police and help get him out of jail.
He is currently being held in the Yakima County jail on a bail total of $100,000 on all the charges. He is set to be arraigned on the drug charge Thursday.
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