The man who launched a statewide search and an AMBER Alert Tuesday for himself and his 4-year-old son appeared Wednesday in Lewis County Superior Court for a preliminary appearance on a charge of second-degree assault with use of a deadly weapon — a vehicle.
Prosecutors allege Dustin O. Reed, 34, hit a 27-year-old man in the leg with his black 1995 Infiniti car as he backed out of a downtown Chehalis parking lot near a women’s shelter after allegedly taking his son Jacek Reed from his mother without permission.
Acquaintances of Timothy Bailey said he has torn ligaments in his right knee and is now on crutches.
Patricia Ryan, who accompanied Sheena Reed and her son 9:15 a.m. Tuesday for a visit at the Human Response Network in Chehalis following an unannounced 1:40 a.m. visit by Dustin Reed at Sheena Reed’s Napavine home, said a man in her party stepped behind Dustin Reed’s vehicle to stop him from driving away, and initially was successful, but then the Army soldier “gunned it in reverse.”
Reed, a 1994 Centralia High School graduate, is stationed in Fort Knox, Ky.
Ryan said Reed was on temporary leave from the Army and flew into Portland late Monday night and had arranged with his wife Sheena Reed to see his son Tuesday at school before showing up at her home a few hours later.
Napavine police contacted Dustin Reed early Tuesday morning at Sheena Reed’s home but did not arrest him.
In superior court, Judge Richard Brosey set Reed’s bail at $25,000.
Reed’s charge, second-degree assault, is a Class B felony with a sentencing range of three to nine months in jail without a prior felony conviction. Prosecutors say Reed has a misdemeanor conviction from several years ago. Reed’s arraignment is scheduled March 10.
Despite touching off a statewide search and AMBER Alert for his son that culminated with Bonney Lake police taking Reed into custody about five hours later, Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said the married man committed no crime by taking his son into custody.
“I got a disagreement between a husband and a wife,” Meagher said outside of court.
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Reed is accused of throwing his son into the car — which caused him to hit his head — before driving away.
Outside of court, Ryan said her friend Sheena Reed was visiting the Human Response Network to begin the process of having a restraining order granted against her husband. When they were about to enter the building Tuesday morning, Ryan said Dustin Reed showed up.
“All of a sudden I hear Sheena say ‘What are you doing here?’” Ryan said.
Ryan said the boy ran to Dustin Reed when he said “‘Jacek, it’s daddy.’”
An argumentative confrontation followed between both husband and wife in a parking lot, Ryan said, before Dustin Reed picked up his son and threw him in his car — which had a passenger door open — knocking off one of his shoes.
“Jacek was screaming,” Ryan said.
In a Tuesday interview with KIRO-TV of Seattle, Reed said his wife has lied about his violent behavior toward her.
Reed also said he took his son shopping Tuesday, buying him clothes, a CD and a haircut. He said he wasn’t aware of the issued AMBER Alert.
Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer said Reed spoke “along the same lines” to officers who brought him back to Lewis County from Bonney Lake, where police tracked his phone’s GPS signal.
“From what our officers told me, it seemed (Reed) was playing it cool like it was no big deal,” Schaffer said. “He didn’t give us any trouble, but he was really vague with a lot of his answers and didn’t say terribly much.”
Sheena Reed picked up her son in Bonney Lake at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. She has not been available for comment and did not attend her husband’s court appearance.
Reed entered the Army October 2009 and currently serves as an infantryman with the Warrior Transition Battalion with the rank of private first class, according to Army officials at Fort Knox.
Ryan said Reed worked odd jobs before joining the Army.
A childhood friend of Reed, Pastor Greg Anderson of New Hope Church in Chehalis, said he was “stunned” to see Reed in jail.
“The Dusty I know loves to laugh, he’s adventurous and he’s very respectful. He’s a very happy person,” Anderson said Wednesday. “Every time I was around him, he was always cool, calm and respectful. When yesterday happened we were so shocked, so surprised to see him on the news — we just couldn’t believe it.”
Anderson said Reed joined the Army because he was “fiercely devoted” to his country and felt a calling to serve in the nation’s military.
“He knew it was time to just sign up and go,” Anderson said. “He has the utmost respect for his nation and wanted to show that by serving. ... We’re praying for Dusty, his wife and son and for the restoration of their family,” Anderson said. “I wish I could go visit Dusty right now and just reconnect with him, and show him we’re all there for him.”
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Reporter Christopher Brewer contributed to this story.
