Chubbuck man charged after allegedly pulling gun on woman during argument

CHUBBUCK — A man accused of putting a gun to a woman’s head faces a felony charge.

Richard Henry Elkins, 19, has been charged with aggravated assault, court records show.

Chubbuck police received a call reporting a weapons offense just after 9 p.m. on March 13, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The caller told police that Elkins held a gun to her head but was no longer in the area.

The victim spoke to officers over the phone. She said she was with Elkins and others when Elkins said he wanted to smoke.

“All people that smoke are b******,” she allegedly said in response.

She told the officer her comment was meant to be a joke but that it angered Elkins.

Elkins began yelling at her. When she told him to calm down, Elkins reportedly pulled a silver revolver from his pocket and held it to her head.

“People want to talk until they have to pay the consequences, you dumb b****,” Elkins said, according to the victim.

She and others were able to calm Elkins down. Before leaving, Elkins allegedly told the victim he would burn her house down if she retaliated.

Since Elkins is a convicted felon, the victim believes he bought the gun illegally and was afraid of what Elkins would do. It took her about an hour to call police.

Officers spoke with a witness, who said he did not see Elkins pull a gun on the victim. The witness, however, did hear Elkins threaten to burn down the victim’s house, the affidavit says.

Another witness provided officers with a similar story.

Though neither of them saw him pull a gun, they knew he owned a silver five-shot revolver.

When officers questioned that, one of the witnesses said he would not answer any other questions.

The victim learned of Elkins location as police were getting a written statement. That’s when a call came over the scanner that Elkins was being held at gunpoint and officers were working to detain him.

Police heard two men arguing when they arrived, and one of them was Elkins, according to the affidavit.

Elkins opened the door “in a violent manner,” the police report says. When he walked out, officers pulled their guns and told him to get on the ground.

During the arrest, officers found a live .44 magnum round inside his coat pocket. It was not the gun alleged to have been used during the incident, police say. They also reported “multiple large knives” inside a backpack Elkins was carrying.

Elkins was booked in the Bannock County Jail and is being held on a $10,000 bond. If he does post bond, he will be subject to court services and issued a no-contact order barring him from any interactions with the victim.

He is scheduled to appear in court before magistrate Judge Thomas Clark for a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

If convicted, Elkins could face up to five years in prison.

Though Elkins has been charged with a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.