A Cowlitz County Superior Court judge set bail at $5,000 each for the Napavine man and Salkum man accused of shooting and brandishing firearms at the occupants of another vehicle in an alleged road rage assault.
Terry G. Middleton, 70, of Napavine, and Jack Ritter, 63, of Salkum, have each been charged with two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of felony harassment after witnesses reported the two pointing pistols at a truck and threatening to kill the occupants near Spirit Lake Highway and Si Town Road on Saturday.
Deputy Prosecutor Mike Nguyen requested that Judge Thad Scudder set bail at $75,000 for Ritter, who was the first of the co-defendants to have his preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Nguyen justified the high bail due to the violent nature of the allegations, citing concerns about community safety.
Nguyen also requested protection orders for the two victims.
“The allegations are very serious. It’s lucky nobody got hurt,” said Nguyen.
Defense attorney Justin Morehouse requested Scudder release Ritter on his own personal recognizance “even given the severity of the allegations,” he said, due to Ritter’s limited criminal history and the stable address and methods of communication he provided to the court.
Scudder compromised by setting bail at $5,000 and granting the protection order.
Scudder granted the same bail and conditions to Middleton, whose preliminary hearing was also held on Tuesday.
Under the protection orders, the two defendants are required to surrender all firearms to the state. Both were in custody at the Cowlitz County Jail as of Tuesday evening.
Their next court appearances are arraignment hearings scheduled for July 15.
