June 1, 2002 Posted: 06:15:07 AM PDT
By DARYL FARNSWORTH
BEE STAFF WRITER
A reported threat by a man armed with a shotgun turned into a weapons investigation Friday, with Modesto police saying the suspect's house held an illegal submachine gun and assault rifles, and a 16-inch rocket-propelled grenade.
[b][/b]
Police said they arrested Darrell Wayne Wright, 60, after a brief standoff outside his home at 2906 Roselle Avenue, just north of Floyd Avenue, amid Village I in northeast Modesto.
No shots were fired and no one was injured. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department bomb squad safely detonated the grenade in the front yard of Wright's home late in the afternoon. It turned out that the device was inactive.[b][/b]
Officers said Wright, who lives alone, appears to be a survivalist. They reported seeing survivalist materials and Solider of Fortune magazines in his house.[b][/b]
Police took Wright into custody for investigation of brandishing a firearm [b]at officers and assault on a motorist,[/b] and possession of illegal assault rifles and a fully automatic submachine gun.
Detective Doug Ridenour said police responded after getting a call from a Sacramento motorist who reported that he went down a driveway by mistake while looking for another residence and was confronted by a shotgun-wielding man.
The motorist pulled into Wright's driveway at about 10:45 a.m., [b]driving past "private drive" and "keep out" signs posted at the entrance.[/b]
Police said Wright walked outside, pointed the shotgun at the man and racked a shell in the chamber.
The motorist, who was not identified, quickly backed down the driveway and called 911.
[b][/b]
Sgt. Ed Steele and officer Kelly Scott responded to the call. Steele said they made several attempts to reach Wright by telephone, to no avail.
At about noon, Steele and Scott climbed over a fence and cautiously walked up to some bushes near the front of Wright's two-story home.
"He came out of his house and he was holding a shotgun and we were standing about 10 feet apart," Steele said. "We identified ourselves as police officers and ordered him to drop the shotgun, but he wouldn't."
[b]Wright did not point the weapon at officers, but Steele said he and Scott pointed their guns at Wright, who then put down the shotgun. He was taken into custody without further incident.[/b]
"He told us that he didn't see our uniforms because we were behind some bushes," Steele said.
Police said Wright gave his permission for a search of his house, and officers discovered the arms cache: the rocket-propelled grenade, submachine gun and assault rifles, numerous other guns, and a large amount of ammunition.