Knife-wielding man arrested after fire burns Pleasant Hill apartment
PLEASANT HILL -- Police arrested a knife-wielding man following an explosion and fire at his Pleasant Hill apartment Tuesday night.
The Pleasant Hill Police Department said in a press statement that officers responded just before 9 p.m. to a report of an explosion and smoke coming from a first-floor apartment on the 1400 block of Contra Costa Boulevard. Arriving officers found one apartment completely engulfed in flames.
Firefighters evacuated the apartment complex and quickly put out the fire. Residents reported seeing a male resident limping away from the burning apartment carrying two large knives. Officers located the man nearby; police said he refused to comply with commands and began to self-inflict knife wounds.
Officers then shot the man with bean bag rounds and arrested him without further incident, police said. He was taken to a hospital for knife injuries that were not life-threatening.
The man was identified as 58-year-old Marlon Perry and confirmed to be the sole occupant of the apartment which was burning. Arson investigators determined the fire was intentionally set and police said once Perry received treatment he would be booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for felony arson.
No other residents were injured in the fire. A total of three apartment units were damaged by the fire and smoke. Police urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the department's investigation bureau at (925) 288-4630.