Bend man accused of threatening road crew with gun

A 33-year-old Bend man was arrested on burglary, robbery and other charges early Wednesday morning after allegedly threatening a city road construction crew with a handgun, and then stealing items from a nearby business and breaking a glass front door, police said.

Officers responded shortly after 3 a.m. to Southeast Third Street and Reed Market Road on the reported threat to a city road construction crew, Sgt. Todd Guthrie said..

A victim told police the suspect, later identified as Brian Carl Kennedy, was slapping the waistband of his pants and screaming that he had a gun. The victim and another witness gave officers a description of the man and the last known direction he was traveling, Guthrie said.

While officers searched the area, a caller from a nearby business, Cathy’s Express Eco Laundromat on Third Street, reported a man of similar description stole items from his building, and then shattered a glass front door.

Guthrie said a search turned up Kennedy, who matched the descriptions given in both incidents. He was taken into custody without further incident.

An investigation determined Kennedy entered the closed dry cleaning business and refused to leave when told to by cleaning staff, Guthrie said. He then allegedly stole items from the cleaners and threw rocks at a victim to get away.

Kennedy was arrested and booked into the Deschutes County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary, third-degree robbery, fourth-degree attempted assault, menacing, second-degree criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and third-degree theft.

A district attorney’s information — an initial charging document — filed later Wednesday morning listed five counts and did not include the robbery or theft charges.

Jail records showed Kennedy was being held without bail on a probation violation.

Online court records show a criminal history dating back to 2003, including 2004 convictions on second-degree theft and fourth-degree assault, a 2006 conviction on menacing and unlawful use of a weapon, a 2008 conviction on methamphetamine possession and a 2011 conviction on a menacing charge.

In 2012, Kennedy was arrested on numerous charges including kidnap, robbery, assault on a jail deputy and attempted assault on a police officer after incidents at the Mt. Bachelor Motel and the south Bend AM/PM gas station. A chase ensued and police K-9 Haras bit Kennedy to subdue him, police said. Court records show he pleaded no contest to third-degree robbery and received a 15-month prison term in that case.