BILLINGS- The man who engaged in a standoff with Billings police Tuesday evening near Rimrock Mall faces up to 30 years in prison on two felonies.
Anthony James Cross, 25, was charged Wednesday with felony attempted assault with a weapon, felony criminal endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of partner or family member assault, according to charging documents. Police seized five guns from his residence after his arrest, including a Bushmaster AR-15 and a shotgun.
Here's what happened, according to court documents:
The incident began when a relative of Cross's came home after work to find him drunk while he was watching her grandson. She told him to leave the apartment on Phyllis Lane until he sobered up, which caused him to get angry and start yelling her.
The woman told police Cross grabbed a shotgun and pointed it at himself. She wrestled it away from him, then unloaded it without his noticing. Cross then grabbed the shotgun again, without knowing it wasn't loaded, and pointed it at the woman's face. He then threw it at her face and hit her, which prompted her to wake her grandson to leave the apartment.
That prompted Cross to say he would "do suicide by cop."
When officers arrived at the scene, they secured the perimeter and allowed the woman and her grandson to exit the building safely. Cross allegedly yelled derogatory language from a bedroom window at officers and asked them to shoot him.
Police negotiated with Cross for about an hour before he left the residence and allegedly ignored their commands to stop. Officers were able to wrestle him to the ground and place him under arrest.
The five guns seized by police were the AR-15, shotgun, a Daisy BB gun, a Gamo Pellet Gun a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22. Police also seized a bow and ammunition.
The incident ended around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
