ARIMO — A local man who allegedly took aim at the town’s mayor and a sheriff’s deputy with a BB gun faces felony charges following a standoff Thursday that ended when tactical police deployed tear gas into his residence.
The confrontation in the small community of Arimo resulted in evacuations and road closures but fortunately no injuries, authorities reported.
Brandon Robert Hess, 47, of Arimo, has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of assault or battery upon certain personnel, both felonies, following the ordeal, according to sheriff’s office and court records the Idaho State Journal obtained Friday.
The incident began to unfold around 10 a.m. when a Bannock County sheriff’s deputy arrived at Hess’ residence on the 300 block of High Street for the report of suspicious circumstances, authorities said.
Shortly after the deputy responded to the home, Arimo Mayor Lonnie Gunter also arrived, explaining to the deputy that when he had visited Hess earlier in the day to discuss a minor ordinance issue concerning a hose Hess had stretched across High Street, Hess allegedly “flew off the handle” and ordered Gunter off his property.
The mayor expressed concerns to the deputy about Hess’ deteriorating mental health, noting that he had recently egged a neighbor’s home and would occasionally be found in his back yard yelling at the top of his lungs when Hess allegedly fired an air rifle toward the pair, authorities said.
The Bannock County Sheriff’s office initially said the incident involved a real firearm but it turned out to be an air-powered rifle with pellet ammunition, according to the incident report.
The deputy then called for backup to arrive and cordoned off nearby streets. Shortly after the Southeast Idaho Special Tactics and Response, or STAR, team and sheriff’s office’s Bearcat armored vehicle arrived on scene Hess allegedly texted the mayor saying he needed a lawyer from Alabama because “there’s cops in front of your door” and “I just cut the matrix and shot at the mayor’s tire.” Hess also texted the mayor saying, “I am under the protection of the Jimmy Carter Tree Patriot Act and have no resources and have not had nutrients for nine days, authorities said.
After an eight-hour standoff deputies deployed tear gas into Hess’ residence causing him to lexit where he was arrested without further incident, according to the report.
Deputies searched the home and located a BB gun and a green ammo container that had what appeared to be marijuana and BB’s in it, authorities said.
Hess was arrested and transported to the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello.
He appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge Aaron Thompson for an arraignment hearing on Friday where his bond was set at $75,000.
Hess is scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 5 for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate the case from magistrate to district court for trial.
If convicted of the two felony charges, Hess faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.