‘I’ve punched a cop before’: Shasta County deputies arrest man suspected of arson
A Los Angeles-area man was arrested by Shasta County deputies Friday on suspicion of arson and threatening officers.
In a news release, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said Lucas Murphy was taken into custody following an altercation with deputies in a cemetery.
The Sheriff’s Office were notified around 11:45 a.m. by the Burney Fire Department after contacting a man who was lighting trash and vegetation on fire in a woody area southeast of the intersection of Highway 299 and Marquette Street in Burney, a small community about an hour’s drive east from Redding.
The man fled when fire personnel approached, and they then put out the fire before it could spread to nearby structures. Shasta County deputies searched the area and couldn’t find anyone, but were called around 1:22 p.m. by an employee of the Burney Dollar General to report a disturbance.
The employee said a man was attempting to break into a Redbox machine outside the store, punching the machine and lighting a piece of cardboard on fire, which was extinguished by the employee.
Murphy, 27, was found by deputies crossing Highway 299 near Mountain View Road, with fire personnel in pursuit. Fleeing from deputies, Murphy ran into the Burney Cemetery, where deputies contacted him.
They suspected he was under the influence of a stimulant and was holding a yellow lighter in his hand, deputies said.
“At this point, Murphy started two fires and was a public safety risk which needed to be apprehended before he ignited another fire in the populated town of Burney,” the Sheriff’s Office said in its news release.
Deputies ordered Murphy to the ground and allege that he took a fighter’s stance and threatened to fight deputies. They also allege that Murphy told them “I’ve punched a cop before” before deploying a Taser and arresting him.
He was booked into the Shasta County jail on suspicion of arson, obstructing an officer, public intoxication and parole violation. Murphy is currently on parole for a previous offense of unlawfully setting a fire, according to the Sheriff’s Office.