Weed man in jail after threatening neighbors, resisting police

WEED, CA (Sept. 25, 2008) — A man was arrested outside his Weed residence early Sunday morning after law enforcement officers from several agencies responded to calls of a disturbance.

Susan Gravenkamp, spokeswoman for the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, said during a phone interview that Richard Frank Smillie had allegedly threatened his neighbors on Sept. 21.

“One of the neighbors, a woman,” Gravenkamp said, “told officers that (Simillie) went to her house, said he’d blow up something with a bomb and then said he would blow her head off with a gun.”

She reported that neighbors contacted 911. “Along with our deputies, officers from the Weed Police Department, CALFIRE and Department of Fish and Game arrived at the suspect’s residence, located at 19308 Maple Avenue.”

When the deputies and other officers arrived on scene, Gravenkamp said that Smillie threw glass bottles and rocks at them. Claiming he had a bomb in his house, Smillie threatened to “set it off.”

Law enforcement officers eventually grabbed Smillie but he was still combative, reportedly punching one of the officers in the stomach.

With Smillie in custody, his residence was searched. Gravenkamp said that no bombs were found.

Smillie was booked into the Siskiyou County Jail that morning. He has been charged with suspicion of making threats with the intent to terrorize, resisting arrest, removing a weapon, not a firearm, from a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon and making false bomb threats to a peace officer, Gravenkamp said.

Smillie’s bail is set at $25,000.