Convicted felon charged in connection with scuffle with deputies

EPHRATA — A Moses Lake man claims the reason he reached for a gun during a scuffle with two deputies is because he was going to shoot himself.

Grant County prosecutors charged Nicholas Romero Rivera, 28, of Moses Lake, with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

About 3:15 a.m. Wednesday a deputy with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office spotted a slow moving passenger vehicle attempt to exit the College Apartments parking lot in the 4200 block of Grape Drive East. The vehicle reportedly pulled out of the driveway, went onto the road and backed up 50 yards into a parking stall in front on an apartment. The two occupants of the vehicle got out of the car and the front passenger walked into a nearby apartment, according to police records.

The deputy made contact with the driver of the car, Romero Rivera, who said he backed up into the stall because he had a rear light out on his vehicle. Romero Rivera, a convicted felon, initially gave the deputy a false name, but the deputy was later able to confirm his true identity.

Another deputy arrived at the scene to help arrest Romero Rivera. Romero Rivera allegedly resisted arrest when one of the deputies grabbed his arm, which prompted the deputies to push him against his car.

“It was then he whistled and called for his friends in the direction of (one of the apartments). We continued to struggle and get control of Romero Rivera, he continued to push us toward the front passenger door and managed to get it open,” wrote a deputy. “He twisted out of my grip on his wrist and I attempted to wrap around his head and neck. I was unsuccessful as he continued to pull away. I grabbed onto his shirt and he pulled away, taking his shirt off and he attempted to run away.”

The three men fell to the ground and one of the deputies was reportedly pinned between Romero Rivera, the side of the car and the ground. One of the deputies yelled, “gun” several times and the other deputy tased the suspect twice. The deputy who yelled gun later said that Romero Rivera reached under a seat in the vehicle and grabbed a gun. The deputy was able to grab his wrist and pinned down Romero Rivera’s arm with the gun. Romero Rivera allegedly said he was reaching for the gun to shoot himself. The suspect continued to resist and reportedly grabbed onto a Taser one of the deputies was holding.

“I told him to let go of it several times and he did not comply. I managed to get control of the Taser and get Romero Rivera spun around so his back faced us and we could pin him to the back of the passenger side of the truck when (another deputy) arrived.”

Moses Lake police arrived at the scene and helped the deputies gain control of Romero Rivera and take him into custody. A search of the vehicle turned up two handguns.