A Centralia man is facing assault charges after he allegedly pointed a loaded gun at his father during an argument on Monday.
Corde Edward Journee Jr., 21, of Centralia, is accused of silently pointing a black Glock .40 or 10mm caliber gun at his father’s face for “approximately five to six seconds” during a verbal argument.
Journee Jr. reportedly “became upset” during the argument and told his father he was going to get his gun, then went into his bedroom and returned with the gun, according to court documents. The victim later told police “he thought he was going to die while the gun was pointed at him.”
After pointing the gun away from his father, Journee Jr. reportedly went back into his bedroom and returned without the gun, then “grabbed a vacuum cleaner and slammed it into the floor, breaking it,” and left the residence, according to court documents.
When speaking with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office about the incident, the victim stated “he wanted to get his son some help but feared that he would pull a gun on someone else” and “expressed concern that if his son went to jail and a low bail was set, he would get out and kill him,” according to court documents.
When contacted by deputies, Journee Jr. reportedly admitted that he and his father had been in a “‘heated’ argument earlier” and admitted that he broke a vacuum cleaner, but he “denied that there was ever any firearms,” according to court documents.
Deputies obtained a search warrant for Journee Jr.’s bedroom and found several boxes of ammunition and several loose cartridges, along with a 10 round capacity Glock magazine in his girlfriend’s purse.
Deputies were unable to locate the handgun and “suspected Journee Jr. may have taken it out of the house when he left after the incident,” according to court documents.
Journee Jr. has a felony conviction on his record that prohibits him from possessing a firearm, according to court documents.
Journee Jr. was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 11:15 a.m. on April 25 and has since been charged with one count each of second-degree assault, domestic violence and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Deputy Prosecutor Scott Jackson asked Judge Joely Yeager to set Journee Jr.’s bail at $50,000, but Defense Attorney Rachael Tiller requested bail be set no higher than $25,000.
She cited Journee Jr.’s financial inability to post a high bail, and his cooperation with police as reasons for lowering bail.
“He was the one who contacted police when he learned of the investigation,” said Tiller during Journee Jr.’s preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Yeager ultimately set Journee Jr.’s bail at $50,000.
She stated that she initially planned to set bail higher than the amount Jackson requested, but chose to set it at $50,000 due to Journee Jr.’s financial situation.
“Mr. Journee is presumed innocent, however, the allegations here are extremely concerning,” she said.
Yeager also granted Jackson’s request for a no-contact order protecting the victim.
Journee Jr.’s next court appearance is an arraignment hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 28.
