Clallam County deputies arrested a Sequim man last week after he allegedly shot at a resident near South Barr Road and pointed the weapon at another resident in the early morning hours of Feb. 17.

According to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, 55-year-old Keith Roberson was arrested and booked into Clallam County Correctional Facility on two counts of assault in the first degree.

A little after 4 a.m. on Feb. 17, deputies responded to the South Barr Road area reports of a suspicious person prowling the area and within minutes police dispatch received other calls reporting sounds of shots fired in the area.

One caller said he heard a male yelling for help after hearing a gunshot and, believing the cry for help was from his neighbor, he left his residence to assist. Instead, according to the sheriff’s office, he was confronted by a man later identified by deputies as Roberson, who was reportedly armed with a 9-millimeter, semi-automatic handgun.

Roberson aimed and fired the gun at him from about 40 feet away but missed the resident by about 8 feet and the round put a hole in the neighbor’s fence, deputies said.

A man living in the 300 block of South Barr Road reported he had heard a knock at his door, followed by a man (Roberson) entering his house through the door,” sheriff’s office officials said. Roberson requested help, asking the resident to call the police. Roberson reportedly pointed the handgun at the resident. According to sheriff’s office officials, Roberson told the resident, “If I’m going out; I’m not going out alone.”

Several Clallam County Sheriff Office deputies, assisted by officers from both Sequim and Port Angeles police departments, arrived in the area and within minutes located Roberson in a carport in the 300 block of South Barr Road. Roberson was armed with the handgun. After several minutes of negotiations, Roberson surrendered the weapon and was taken into custody.

Roberson, believed to be under the influence of controlled substances, was taken to the Olympic Medical Center emergency room where he was evaluated and cleared for incarceration by medical staff, sheriff’s office officials said.

Deputies and sheriff’s detectives are continuing an investigation and the case will be forwarded to the Clallam County Prosecutor’s Office for a formal charging decision.