SAN DIEGO–A 36-year-old Lakeside man involved in a six-hour standoff at the FBI building in Sorrento Valley has been charged with destruction of government property.
Richard William Durant, III was arrested on Sunday at approximately 5:15 p.m. by members of an FBI SWAT team at the San Diego FBI Office, located at 10385 Vista Sorrento Parkway.
On Monday, a complaint was filed by an FBI special agent and signed by a U.S. magistrate judge in U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, charging Durant with one count of destruction of government property.
According to the complaint, on Sunday, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Durant approached the visitor screening facility at the FBI San Diego Field Office. Durant was contacted by a security officer, at which time he responded with words to the effect of, “I need to speak to a federal agent. Don’t try to stop me. I have weapons.”
Durant then fled from the guard and scaled the fence into the property of the FBI building. Durant crossed the property, approached the main door, and attempted to enter the FBI building. The guard again approached Durant and Durant again responded to the guard with words to the effect of, “I have weapons.” Durant proceeded along the west side of the building, where he again tried to gain access through an outside door and, in so doing, ripped off a u-shaped door handle approximately 12 inches in length.
Durant then entered the parking garage of the FBI building, where he smashed and broke the window of a government vehicle in an attempt to gain access to the vehicle. Durant then climbed to the top of the FBI annex, a single-story building, where he damaged a security camera.
While on the roof, Durant was contacted by San Diego Police Department officers and subsequently by FBI agents. Durant refused multiple requests to comply and remained on the roof. While on the roof, Durant used an unknown device to ignite a fire in the heating ventilation and air conditioning unit attached to the roof of the FBI building. Simultaneous to the fire, FBI SWAT agents intervened and took Durant into custody. Following his arrest, Durant admitted that he had lit a fire on the roof.
Durant is currently being treated and evaluated at a local medical facility, where he remains in the custody of the FBI. Upon his discharge from this facility, it is anticipated that Durant will be booked into the Bureau of Prisons, Metropolitan Correctional Center.
