Cle Elum Man Jailed For Allegedly Pointing Gun At Four Teens In Ellensburg

A Cle Elum man is behind bars after police say he pointed a handgun at four teenagers last Saturday night (April 25).

The Ellensburg Daily Record says the incident unfolded at around 8 p.m. in the 100 block of Craig Avenue at Reed Park, where officers with the Ellensburg Police Department responded after receiving reports of a man brandishing a firearm.

Investigators say a man inside a parked vehicle at the location aimed a handgun at a group of people that included three 17-year-olds and one 18-year-old, after the teens allegedly made an obscene gesture in his direction.

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The man then reportedly drove away from the scene, but the teens gave chase in their vehicle and followed the man until he abruptly stopped at the intersection of Maple Street and Craig Avenue, where he allegedly exited his vehicle and walked towards the teens' car with the same handgun pointed at them.

The teens drove away and called police, who were initially informed by the group that they didn't know the man but later learned that at least one the teens was acquainted with him.

The teens provided a license plate number and a cell phone photo of the suspect that they say had been taken earlier that same evening, and officers located the man about two hours later at a truck stop in the 1500 block of U.S. Highway 97 in Ellensburg.

Officers reportedly discovered the handgun the teens allege was pointed at them and arrested the suspect, 23-year-old Wyatt Tate Jenkins, who was booked into the Kittitas County Jail for second-degree assault and the unlawful displaying a dangerous weapon.

At his initial appearance in Kittitas County Superior Court on Monday, Jenkins' bail was set at $50,000 with an arraignment scheduled for Thursday.