Crime & Safety

Man Charged with Harassment After Threatening to Shoot, Kill West Pierce Firefighters

Carlos Lopez Ford, 37, faces five counts of felony harassment charges after he threatened to shoot and kill the West Pierce firefighters who responded to a distress call.

A 37-year-old man is facing five counts of felony harassment in Pierce County court after threatening to shoot and kill the West Pierce firefighters who met him in the street and tried to help him, according to court documents.

Five WPFR firefighters responded to a “decreased level of consciousness” call in University Place on April 15, where Carlos Lopez Ford, 37, was witnessed stumbling in and out of traffic on the roadway. His eyes were bloodshot and firefighters could smell intoxicants, according to the report.

Ford was hostile to them on the outset and began threatening the firefighters, attempting to provoke them into a fight. He tossed a bag on the ground and continued threatening them as he reached for something inside. The firefighters commanded he stop and then he threatened to shoot them with a gun. Two firefighters tackled the man to the ground and restrained him until police arrived.

Find out what's happening in University Placewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

One firefighter was injured during the struggle.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from University Place