Man arrested wearing sheriff's uniform charged in home invasion robbery

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/402448_burglary06.html?source=rss

Man arrested wearing sheriff's uniform charged in home invasion robbery
By LEVI PULKKINEN
P-I REPORTER


A Seattle man arrested wearing a King County Sheriff's Office-issued jumpsuit and bullet-resistant vest was charged Thursday in an attempted drug robbery.

According to police, Jason M. Lusher, 38, forced his way into a North Seattle home early Tuesday morning while armed with an AK-47-style assault rifle. At the time, Lusher was wearing sheriff's office garb apparently issued to his father, a retired sergeant with the department.

In court documents, investigators assert that Lusher broke down the residence's door with the butt of his rifle before accosting a woman living in the home. Police claim Lusher later admitted to officers he was looking for marijuana stolen from a friend of his.

After searching the North 138th Street home for several minutes, Lusher moved to leave the residence but was blocked by the woman. According to court documents, Lusher then fired at a wall of the home and threatened to shoot the woman.

Officers responding to a 911 call from the woman heard the shot and watched as Lusher ran from the home. Once confronted, police said that Lusher continued to flee until police dog Hagi subdued him.

In a search of the area, police found the assault rifle and a 9 mm handgun, according to court documents. The serial number on the rifle had been removed.

Under questioning, Lusher admitted to entering the woman's home but denied allegations that he was armed with the rifle, according to court documents. Lusher, police claim, said he went to the house "because a friend of his was a victim of a drug rip-off" and he was attempting to retaliate against those responsible.

Prosecutors charged Lusher with first-degree burglary and second-degree assault. He also faces an illegal gun possession charge because he lost his right to possess a firearm following an earlier conviction on felony drug possession charges.

Lusher is scheduled to be arraigned March 19. He remains in King County Jail on $250,000 bail.

P-I reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com.

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The serial number on the rifle had been removed.

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Why isn't he also being charged federally and/or with RCW 9.41.140 for this? Sure, it's only a misdemeanor (ref: RCW 9.41.810), but still sounds like this guy deserves to get as many counts against him as possible.

This is also why I don't like "no knock" warrants. This isn't the first time criminals have impersonated police to get residents of a home to submit to their intrusion. I'm sorry, but you don't bust down my door without repercussions, no matter who you are. You want into my house, knock like a normal person and talk to me... serve me a warrant and work within the US Constitution.

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just_a_car wrote:

The serial number on the rifle had been removed.

Click to expand...

Why isn't he also being charged federally and/or with RCW 9.41.140 for this? Sure, it's only a misdemeanor (ref: RCW 9.41.810), but still sounds like this guy deserves to get as many counts against him as possible.

This is also why I don't like "no knock" warrants. This isn't the first time criminals have impersonated police to get residents of a home to submit to their intrusion. I'm sorry, but you don't bust down my door without repercussions, no matter who you are. You want into my house, knock like a normal person and talk to me... serve me a warrant and work within the US Constitution.

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+1

If someone busts down my door and comes storming into my house, I don't care if they say they're police or not, they are getting equal treatment as anyone else. Several rounds of .45 and 9mm will be coming their way, post haste.

If they are police, they made a huge mistake, cause there is no reason why anybody should be executing a no knock warrant on my domicile. Stop no-knock warrants, and people will stop shooting at police who bust down doors like the SS. It's really quite simple.

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compmanio365 wrote:

If they are police, they made a huge mistake, cause there is no reason why anybody should be executing a no knock warrant on my domicile. Stop no-knock warrants, and people will stop shooting at police who bust down doors like the SS. It's really quite simple.

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+1.

If they can't bust a criminal without busting down the door without warning, they're doing something terribly wrong. I don't care who you are, criminal or not, you'll get cabin fever and have to step outside; that's when they should be taken down.

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Why isn't he also being charged federally and/or with RCW 9.41.140 for this? Sure, it's only a misdemeanor (ref: RCW 9.41.810), but still sounds like this guy deserves to get as many counts against him as possible.

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Charges are almost always changed a bit from the time of arrest to arraignment and pleas. Techically, he could get burg 1, assault 2, robbery 1, felony harassment, unlawful discharge, coercion, carrying in a way meant to intimidate, x2 felon in possession, removal of identifying marks, and prolly a few more.
The thing is with the concurrent sentences, lesser included offenses, and shennangins like that it's easier, and just as effective, to just give them a few serious felonies. He could easily get 20 of more for this, since he has priors.

And I though I had read in my "Peace Officer's Guide to the WA Criminal Code" that altering marks was felony.

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I don't know what to tell you on the "felony" bit, cynicist, other than it doesn't reference a penalty in .140, which by default falls under .810 as a misdemeanor.

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I'm still trying to find the book.

It seems to me that if you have a stolen gun, it's a felony, but if you file off the number, it a misdemeanor. That's just a little counterintuitive.

Also RCW 19.60.066 makes it a gross misdemeanor to take a serial number off other things, so it's like taking it off a stolen gun makes it less serious than a TV.