Orcas man charged with assault with a deadly weapon

Bradley Kenneth Stoner, 36, has been charged with three counts of assault in the first degree with a deadly weapon, burglary in the first degree and malicious mischief.

He was arraigned for the burglary charges on Jan. 6 and released on $5,000 bail. On Jan. 22, he was arraigned for the assault charges and released on $100,000 bail. He was ordered not to leave the state of Washington without informing the court, to surrender all firearms and to adhere to a no-contact protection order for the victim.

Details of the case

On Jan. 3, a deputy responded to a suspicious 911 call made from inside an Eastsound business around 2 a.m. A man said, “I need help,” and hung up. Upon arrival, the deputy found the front door ajar and the door’s glass broken. While waiting for backup, sheriff’s dispatch called the store number back and spoke to the man, who said he would emerge from the business with his hands up.

According to the probable cause statement, Stoner walked out with blood on his hands and allowed himself to be handcuffed while yelling that “someone was trying to kill him.” The deputy found him in possession of a holster and a Glock 43X9 mm magazine containing 13 hollow point 9mm rounds. When asked if he was in possession of a gun, he answered “always.” Stoner told the deputy he had jumped from a moving vehicle and lost the Glock that he was carrying concealed in his waistband.

On Jan. 8, Stoner contacted the sheriff’s office and turned in a 12-gauge pump shotgun to the Orcas substation. Later that day, he returned, stating he had found the Glock and was also turning it in.

The day prior, the Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip that accused Stoner of firing shots into a vehicle that his friend was driving prior to the alleged break-in on Jan. 3.

Deputies interviewed the friend about the incident. According to the probable cause statement, he confirmed hanging out with Stoner that night. The two took acid and went for a hike. While driving past a local business, Stoner, the passenger, suddenly jumped out of the car while it was still in motion. The friend kept driving — slowly — and occasionally gunned the gas in an attempt to get the passenger door closed. He then heard four to five gunshots and “something” hitting his car. He drove off in a panic. When asked if it was Stoner who fired the shots, he said he “couldn’t see Stoner shooting at him” and did not want to get him in trouble. The victim voluntarily relinquished his car as evidence.

Deputies contacted neighbors in the area where the shooting allegedly occurred. They reported hearing men arguing and five gunshots followed by a scream in the early morning hours of Jan. 3.

While returning from searching the area, deputies passed Stoner on the road and pulled him over. They explained the sheriff’s office was investigating a shooting. He was placed into handcuffs, and his vehicle was searched. The truck contained a large knife in a backpack and a Glock 43×9 mm magazine with an extender and 12 hollow point 9 mm bullets in the magazine.

Stoner’s criminal history includes residential burglary and assault in the second degree with a deadly weapon — criminal attempt in San Juan County and unlawful possession of meth in Deschutes County, Oregon.