Maple Falls man arrested after allegedly illegally possessing, firing gun in his backyard
Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies used less-lethal ammunition to arrest a Maple Falls man early Tuesday morning who was allegedly shooting a gun while having a bonfire at his house.
Edgar Stanley Asencio, 38, was arrested April 20 on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment, according to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Early Tuesday morning, deputies were called to the 8300 block of Golden Valley Drive in Maple Falls after neighbors reported Asencio allegedly had a bonfire in his backyard, was playing loud music and was shooting a gun, the news release states.
From a distance, deputies allegedly saw Asencio walking around a large fire in his backyard, yelling and growling. Asencio was allegedly waving around a handgun and shot in the direction of the fire, ground or nearby woodpiles in his yard, the release states.
Deputies attempted to contact Asencio’s wife and children by phone to see if they were home, but the attempts were unsuccessful, according to the release.
Asencio was later allegedly seen with a rifle he took from the house before he left the residence in one of his vehicles, the release states.
A sheriff’s office armored vehicle parked 100 yards from the residence, used spike strips in the roadway and deputies stationed themselves across the street in a nearby driveway, according to the news release.
Asencio allegedly stopped before his vehicle hit the spike strips. Asencio allegedly complied with deputies’ orders to get out of his vehicle, but when he reached the back of his vehicle, he allegedly became confrontational and refused to follow directions, the release states.
Deputies used less-lethal bean bag projectiles on Asencio until they were able to take him into custody, according to the release and Deb Slater, a sheriff’s office spokesperson.
Deputies found the rifle and a handgun at the residence near the bonfire. Asencio’s wife and children were found safe, sleeping inside the residence, according to the release.
Asencio is a convicted felon, which makes it illegal for him to possess a firearm, Slater said.
