Former Soap Lake officer held at gunpoint

SOAP LAKE — A Soap Lake man held a former Soap Lake police officer at gunpoint on Friday morning.

The former police officer was out surveying the area on Warden Avenue Northwest in Soap Lake with his partner for their private investigative business.

Robert R. Anderson, 64, Soap Lake, reportedly approached the former officer, according to Undersheriff Dave Ponozzo.

Anderson allegedly had a past incident with the Soap Lake officer, said Ponozzo.

He reportedly walked up to the former officer and pointed a .45 caliber pistol at him. The former officer contacted his partner, roughly a block away at the time, through a radio to call for help before Anderson took the radio out of his hands, according to Ponozzo.

The other private investigator is a former deputy with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, said Ponozzo.

Deputies arrested and booked Anderson for one count of assault in the second degree, robbery and unlawful imprisonment.

The incident lasted roughly two minutes and no one was hurt, said Ponozzo.

The Ephrata police assisted with the arrest.

Bail was not set.

— Staff report