Eugene Man Arrested for Menacing Neighbor With Paintball Gun

A neighborhood dispute on Eugene's Dalewood Street escalated into a standoff Tuesday night after Nathan Randal Larson, 44, allegedly shot at people with a pellet or paintball gun, struck one of them, then pointed a handgun at the group before retreating inside his home.

Lane County Sheriff's deputies responded at 7 p.m. on March 11 to the 3000 block of Dalewood Street for a reported menacing. According to the Sheriff's Office, the victims told deputies they were in a verbal dispute with Larson when he fired the projectile weapon, striking one person. Larson then pointed a handgun at them before going inside the residence.

Deputies arrived with an armored rescue vehicle and deployed a drone to observe the property. When Larson eventually came out, he refused to cooperate. "Deputies deployed less lethal 40mm munitions, and he was arrested," the Sheriff's Office said.

After taking Larson into custody, deputies applied for a search warrant, which was granted. Inside the residence they found a loaded .45 caliber handgun, a paintball gun, and a tactical vest with additional ammunition.

The Sheriff's Office described the weapon used in the shooting as a "pellet or paintball gun." While a paintball gun was recovered during the search, the agency has not confirmed whether it was the same weapon used against the victims.

Larson was booked at the Lane County Jail on six charges: Assault in the 4th Degree, Menacing, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Disorderly Conduct in the 2nd Degree, and Resisting Arrest. Jail records confirmed he remained in custody as of March 13. The incident is being investigated under LCSO Case 26-1252.

The condition of the person struck during the initial confrontation has not been released by authorities. The nature of the underlying dispute between Larson and the victims also has not been disclosed.