Father and son arrested after an altercation involving a firearm in Black Canyon City

Dewey Christensen Junior and Senior

Dewey Christensen Junior and Senior

A father and son were arrested after an altercation involving a firearm Monday night in Black Canyon City.

At approximately 9:27 p.m. July 29, Yavapai County Sheriff’s deputies received a call of suspicious circumstances in the area of Tara Springs Road.

According to a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office release, the reporting party said a man came by their home stating he had been in an argument with his father in which his father threatened him with a gun and fired warning shots. The man asked the reporting party to call the police.

YCSO deputies responded and contacted the man, who was identified as 21-year-old Dewey Christensen Jr. on the road near the reporting party’s home. Christensen Jr. told deputies he had been involved in a verbal argument with his father, 49-year-old Dewey Christensen Sr., on their property on Smitty’s Street. During the argument, Christensen Jr. began smashing the windows out of an abandoned RV near their property with a baseball bat. At that time, Christensen Sr. retrieved a .45 caliber handgun from his residence and fired three to four rounds north of their property. Christensen Jr. stated he believed his father was going to shoot him. He also stated he didn’t believe his father was allowed to possess firearms.

Deputies contacted an independent witness who confirmed he heard shots in the area of the Christensen home after hearing arguing.

A deputy contacted Christenson Sr. via telephone in an attempt to get him to exit his trailer and come out to talk with deputies. Christensen Sr. refused repeatedly, saying he didn’t want to get arrested.

Christensen Sr. denied owning or shooting a firearm. He told deputies he has no gun, as he is a convicted felon and is not allowed to possess a firearm.

Due to Christensen Sr. being alone on the large property and not a danger to the public, deputies decided to contact him later the next day.

Dewey Christensen Jr. was booked into the Yavapai County Jail in Camp Verde on a complaint of disorderly conduct per domestic violence.

On Tuesday, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Unit prepared a search warrant for Christensen Sr.’s property. Criminal Investigations detectives also obtained an arrest warrant for Christensen Sr. for disorderly conduct with a weapon and misconduct involving weapons (possessing a weapon as a prohibited possessor).

Later that day, deputies watching Christensen Sr.’s property observed Christensen Sr. attempt to leave in his truck as YCSO detectives and evidence technicians approached his trailer. Upon seeing the detectives approaching, Christensen Sr. got out of his truck and went back into his trailer. Deputies made phone contact with him, and after approximately 10 minutes he exited his trailer and was arrested without incident.

During the search of the property, four shell casings from a .45 caliber, ammunition for a .45 caliber, a holster and ultimately the gun that was used (.45 caliber pistol) were recovered. The pistol was recovered on the property adjacent to Christensen, Sr.’s, which also was included in the search warrant.

During an interview, Christensen Sr. drew a map for detectives depicting where he hid the gun. The gun was found semi-buried in bushes near an abandoned cargo trailer. Christensen Sr. admitted to all the offenses during an interview with detectives. He said he fired rounds into the ground to stop his son from using the bat against the abandoned RV he was striking. He also admitted to knowing he was not allowed to possess firearms and said he couldn’t remember how he obtained the pistol.

Christensen Sr. was arrested on the warrant for misconduct involving weapons and two counts of disorderly conduct with a weapon. He was booked into the YCSO Jail in Camp Verde. He is being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

Citizens can contact the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office with information or questions at 928-771-3260 or the YCSO website: www.ycsoaz.gov.

Information provided by Yavapai County Sheriff's Office


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