On September 15th, 2016, at 8:40 p.m., officers from the Redding Police Department responded to a report of a robbery involving a firearm in the parking lot of Poppie’s Pizza, located at 1072 Lake Blvd. Geoffrey Porter (47 years of Redding) was at the location playing Pokémon Go when Jerald Brian Richison (30 years of Redding) approached him and pointed a black handgun at him. Richison demanded Porter’s cell phone. Porter refused to give up his cell phone and defended himself by striking Richison near his head. Richison began attacking Porter and struck him in the face, knocking him to the ground in front of the business. Porter received facial lacerations as a result of the attack. Richison fled the location on foot while several citizens witnessed the incident.
Officers searched the surrounding residential area with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol helicopter. Richison was found a few blocks away, near the intersection of Lake Blvd and Panorama Drive. A replica firearm, modelled after a Beretta FS handgun, was found nearby and had been discarded by Richison after the incident. Richison was booked at the Shasta County Jail for robbery.
Anyone with additional information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department.
