Man Who Opened Fire on Law Enforcement, Punched Corrections Deputy Pleaded Guilty

A man pleaded guilty for an incident in 2018 near Soap Lake when he opened fire on law enforcement. Our news partner, iFiberone, reports that Alejandro Rodriguez, 28, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon enhancement, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, custodial assault and first-degree attempted unlawful possession of a firearm Monday morning in Grant County Superior Court. Part of the plea agreement for Rodriguez caused attempted murder charges to be amended. Prosecutors are recommending Rodriguez be sentenced to close to 35 years in prison.

In August 2018, Ephrata officers, a Grant County deputy and a Soap Lake officer went to an address to locate an armed robbery suspect. A woman at the home of the address led officers to a shed where a man was believed to be inside. Rodriguez exited the shed and continued walking toward a junk pile when officers yelled for him to stop. Rodriguez took cover behind the junk pile and shots were exchanged between him and the officers. Rodriguez was shot in the leg before surrendering. The custodial assault conviction is from a December 2018 assault of a corrections deputy inside a courtroom when he punched the deputy as he entered the courtroom. Rodriguez reportedly tried to take the deputy’s gun before another deputy used a Taser on Rodriguez.