On August 18th, 2017, at around 7:22 p.m., officers from the Redding Police Department responded to the 1700 block of Lazelle Court regarding a subject that was attempting to set his house on fire. Officers arrived on scene and contacted John Strong, 31 years, of Redding.
Strong attempted to set the garage to his residence on fire while other people, including children, were inside. Strong went to the backyard and then lit some pieces of wood on fire. Officers contacted Strong in the backyard; however he refused commands to surrender. Officers attempted to negotiate with Strong for around 15 minutes; however he remained uncooperative and made statements that he wanted police officers to kill him. A records check showed that Strong was on parole for robbery and had recently been released from prison.
When it became apparent that Strong was not going to surrender, Redding Police K9 Abel was deployed to assist in the apprehension. Strong continued to resist arrest and was eventually subdued and taken into custody. Strong was arrested for arson of an inhabited dwelling, elder abuse, child endangerment, resisting arrest, and for a parole violation. Strong was transported to the hospital for treatment and will be booked into the Shasta County jail when he is medically cleared. A recent DMV photograph of Strong is attached.
