CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake man was arrested after police found an assault rifle and a high capacity magazine in his apartment while evacuating an apartment complex’s residents during a Saturday night standoff.

Jordan Lomack Gallon, 19, was arrested early Sunday morning and booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of having a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of a high capacity magazine and possession of an assault weapon, according to Sgt. Travis Lenz of the Clearlake Police Department.

Just before 8:15 p.m. Saturday Clearlake Police officers responded to the Beachfront Apartments on Lakeshore Drive, where they encountered Anthony Hammond, who was armed and had barricaded himself inside the residence after having allegedly stabbed a man with a machete, Lenz said.

While on scene, awaiting a search warrant for Hammond’s apartment, a concerned citizen informed officers of an attic access which would allow Hammond to escape his apartment and make entry into any apartment on the second floor, Lenz said.

Concerned that Hammond could escape through the attic and into another apartment – which would allow him the opportunity to ambush officers as their attention was focused on his apartment or flee the scene and put further citizens’ safety at risk – officers established a plan to prevent this, according to Lenz.

Lenz said officers made entry through a window of an apartment located on the second floor, which was the furthest apartment from Hammond’s.

Upon entry, in plain view, officers observed an SKS-style assault rifle propped up against a wall inside the apartment. On the floor next to the assault rifle was a 60-round high capacity magazine, Lenz said.

Once they were inside that apartment, officers discovered there was no attic access for Hammond to escape. Lenz said the officers exited and secured the residence in anticipation of a second search warrant.

While on scene, a male subject who was identified as Gallon requested entry into the evacuated area to retrieve his canine from his vehicle. For his safety, an officer escorted Gallon to his vehicle to get his dog, Lenz said.

While at his vehicle, Gallon identified the apartment which contained the rifle as his. Due to the circumstances related to the previous call, Gallon was not arrested at that time as all officers on scene were dealing with the original call for service, according to Lenz.

Lenz said that after Hammond was arrested, the Clearlake Police Department Detective Unit began authoring a search warrant for Gallon’s residence. While awaiting the completion of the search warrant, Gallon arrived back on scene and was taken into custody by Clearlake Police officers.

The search warrant was obtained and executed on Gallon’s apartment and the vehicle from which he retrieved his dog, Lenz said.

Lenz said that, in addition to the SKS-style assault rifle and the 60-round high capacity magazine, officers located a .45-caliber pistol and several rounds of ammunition. Located under the driver seat in the vehicle was a loaded .380-caliber pistol.

Anyone with information related to this crime is requested to contact Officer Jesse Scott at 707-994-8251, Extension 544.

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