Oak Harbor police aren’t certain if a road-rage suspect took a shot at an officer who was pursuing him Saturday afternoon.
Officer Patrick Horn had his own gun drawn and was ducking behind the trunk of his car on East Whidbey Avenue when he believes he heard a shot fired, according to police Detective Sgt. Mike Bailey.
Investigators later located a 9mm Uzi hidden in the area where the suspect was found, according to the police report.
No bullet hole or shell casing was found, Bailey said.
The suspect, Nicholas Wiggins, 28, appeared in Island County Superior Court Monday morning.
Superior Court Judge Vickie Churchill found probable cause to hold him on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Chief Criminal Deputy Eric Ohme said Wiggins was being sought on a warrant for DUI and hit-and-run. His criminal history includes convictions for robbery, theft, burglary, forgery and identify theft.
Ohme asked to have Wiggins held on $100,000 bail; Churchill agreed.
The police are still investigating and additional charges are possible, according to Ohme.
The series of incidents began with the road-rage complaint at 1:18 p.m.
A 911 caller reported seeing a man kicking the window out of a Honda.
Horn followed the cars to East Whidbey Avenue and saw Wiggins exit the Honda and go over a fence into the backyard of a home, Bailey’s report states.
Horn called out for Wiggins to show himself.
He drew his firearm and used the trunk of his car as cover.
Wiggins came into view and moved toward the officer, who ducked back down.
Horn said he heard “a single, small-caliber gun shot,” Bailey wrote in his report.
Wiggins walked towards the house.
A woman in the home later told an officer that she heard something in the utility room and caught Wiggins inside; she told him to leave, the report states.
Wiggins left the house and was arrested.
Horn found an intact 9mm bullet in Wiggins’ pocket, the report states.
Another officer obtained permission to search the property and found the Uzi underneath vegetation, the report states.
