A Clallam County Superior Court judge has ordered $500,000 in total bail for a 30-year-old Port Angeles man following a two-day search that concluded with his arrest earlier this week.
The presiding judge determined that the usual presumption in favor of pretrial release had been rebutted, citing concerns over the defendant’s history of domestic violence, risk of reoffending, and past failures to appear in court.
Aaron J. Hatfield was taken into custody at approximately 12:21 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, wrapping up an extensive search triggered by a domestic disturbance at a South Bay View Avenue residence the previous afternoon.
At the time of his arrest, Hatfield was already facing three open cases in Clallam County courts, all tied to domestic violence incidents. He was also under multiple court-imposed restrictions, including a no-contact order and specific bail conditions.
During a preliminary hearing held the day after his booking, Judge Elizabeth Stanley outlined the charges against him and assigned a public defender. At the prosecution’s request, the judge set bail at $250,000 for each of two cases, bringing the total to $500,000.
The court’s reasoning emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, the potential threat Hatfield poses if released, and his pattern of noncompliance with court obligations.
Formal charging documents and criminal information are scheduled to be filed during a hearing set for Monday, August 17, at 1 p.m.
Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols confirmed in a recent email that Hatfield had been processed into the county jail and that his office was awaiting final investigative reports from responding agencies.
Jail intake records indicate Hatfield entered the Clallam County Correctional Facility at 10:33 a.m. on Wednesday and remained in custody through Thursday. He is being held on eight Superior Court bookings and a District Court warrant issued during the Tuesday apprehension.
The Superior Court entries include violations such as breaching a domestic violence protection order—preceded by a prior conviction—residential burglary, obstruction of domestic violence reporting, assault while subject to a court order, second-degree malicious mischief, third-degree assault on an officer, unlawful possession of a weapon capable of causing bodily injury, and resisting arrest. Five of these charges carry domestic violence designations.
Sheriff Brian King praised the collaborative effort among deputies and Port Angeles police officers involved in the operation, noting that officers “placed themselves directly in harm’s way to secure Mr. Hatfield’s return to custody.”
The search began Monday afternoon after a caller reported a domestic incident at the South Bay View Avenue home, stating that Hatfield had assaulted them, destroyed a Ring camera with an axe, broken a cell phone, and fled west on foot into nearby woods, carrying a knife.
County emergency alerts were issued via Everbridge, targeting the area south of Bay View Avenue between Monroe Road and Mount Pleasant Road.
Despite Monday’s efforts—including K9 units and aerial drone surveillance—authorities did not locate Hatfield, who was described as shirtless and clad in gray sweatpants at the time of his disappearance.
Deputies Respond to Tips
The Sheriff's Office stated that on Tuesday, law enforcement personnel were dispatched following a citizen report placing an individual near Marsden Road in Port Angeles. A second notification subsequently placed the subject in the 100 block of South Brook Avenue. Officials confirmed that a deputy discovered the suspect in the yard of a private residence while en route to the location.
According to the agency, the individual charged the deputy at full speed, resulting in a collision that knocked both men to the ground. The subject then rose and fled southbound as deputies pursued on foot, prompting the deployment of a Taser. A search incident to arrest revealed a fixed-blade knife on the individual. The deputy involved in the collision sustained no injuries.
The Sheriff's Office reported that the suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of five offenses: third-degree assault against a police officer, resisting arrest, residential burglary, assault in violation of a no-contact order, and third-degree malicious mischief. The latter three counts are designated as domestic violence offenses.
Witnesses Describe Encounter During the Search
Two individuals who reported encountering a man matching that description during the search provided recorded statements to the Real Olympic Herald. A 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman stated that they were seated in a vehicle while babysitting when they heard a noise and observed a shirtless man in gray sweatpants emerge from the bed of a pickup truck parked at the property.
The woman reported that the man's sweatpants were soaked and that he gathered items from the truck bed, including a coffee container, before expressing gratitude to the couple for allowing him to "stay the night" and stating he needed a place to stay. She indicated she told him to leave.
The man stated that the individual claimed to have been beaten up the previous night and had been drinking. When the subject rubbed his face and appeared to be holding an object, the man stated he drew a pistol and ordered the subject to leave, to which the subject responded, "Just shoot me."
Both witnesses stated that neighbors called 911, deputies took a report, and law enforcement located the man afterward. The man provided the Real Olympic Herald with a 20-second cellphone video he said he recorded during the encounter.
The footage begins pointed at the ground as the person recording walks, with an object partially visible in his hand, and a voice can be heard saying, "No, man, don't," before the camera rises to show a person walking away down a gravel driveway, past a fence line and hedges, and out of view behind trees.
Out on Bail in Multiple Pending Cases
Tuesday's arrest came one week after the suspect was released from custody when bail was posted in two of the open cases.
On Aug. 4, prosecutors filed a criminal information in Clallam County Superior Court charging the suspect with five counts stemming from a reported July 30 incident at a residence on South Bay View Avenue: residential burglary, assault in violation of a protection, restraining or no-contact order, third-degree assault, hit and run resulting in injury, and theft of a motor vehicle.
The first three carry domestic violence designations alleging offenses against an intimate partner, and the theft count alleges the individual took a Toyota 4Runner.
State prosecutors have charged a local man with residential burglary and stealing a car, offenses that carry potential sentences of up to a decade behind bars and fines reaching $20,000 per count. The remaining allegations in the charging document carry maximum penalties of five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Law enforcement records indicate that deputies arrived at the property on July 30 following a report from a woman who said the defendant hit her with his car while exiting the scene. An officer examining the victim noted injuries including cuts to her chin and lip, a broken front tooth, and swelling and abrasions around her nose.
The arrest reports reveal that an active domestic violence no-contact order named the man as the respondent. He allegedly returned to the home later that same day before being taken into custody that evening at a location on Whidby Avenue after a warrant was secured.
During a preliminary hearing on July 31, Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Stanley determined there was probable cause for the charges. She established bail at $50,000 and mandated conditions such as a no-contact order and the surrender of all firearms. On the same day, a separate gross misdemeanor complaint was filed in Clallam County District Court I for violating a no-contact order, with bail set at $1,500.
The defendant entered a not guilty plea to all five counts during his arraignment on Aug. 7. Judge Stanley scheduled a three-day trial to begin on Nov. 2, set a status conference for Oct. 9, and approved a revised no-contact order submitted by the prosecution.
The case initially landed on the docket of Judge Brent Basden, who removed himself from the proceedings on Aug. 4, the day the formal charges were filed. The recusal notice cited a review of the Code of Judicial Conduct as the reason for his departure, after which the matter was transferred to Judge Stanley. While the outlet has sought clarification from Judge Basden regarding the specific basis for his withdrawal, no response has been received.
According to the criminal complaint, the no-contact order allegedly broken was issued by Clallam County District Court I in a prior case involving a fourth-degree assault charge designated as domestic violence stemming from an incident on June 26. Jail records indicate the man was booked on July 1 for that matter and released the following day by court order. He had pleaded not guilty on July 2, and his release conditions prohibited contact with the protected individual.
A pretrial hearing for the earlier assault case was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, approximately one hour after the defendant was taken into custody for the new charges. Court records show the hearing was marked as a failure to appear. Judge David Neupert issued an arrest warrant that same day for non-compliance and failure to appear, setting bail at $2,500 in cash or a $25,000 appearance bond.
In a separate legal action, prosecutors are petitioning the court to find the defendant in contempt regarding the weapons surrender requirement in the Superior Court case. In a motion filed on Wednesday, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steven Johnson noted that a compliance review hearing was held on July 31 with the defendant present, during which he signed a Declaration of Non-Surrender. The motion further states that the state later obtained Department of Licensing records confirming the defendant currently owns three firearms.
A licensing certification, based on a records search conducted on Aug. 4, identifies a 9mm Glock pistol acquired in 2021 and a Smith and Wesson semiautomatic rifle currently registered to the individual. The document lists the rifle twice using the same serial number, while noting that the database tracks firearm purchases rather than actual possession.
Prosecutors have requested that the court mandate the immediate turnover of all firearms and concealed carry permits. Additionally, the motion seeks a 30-day jail sentence, contingent upon the defendant surrendering his weapons to the Sheriff’s Office and providing the court with verification of compliance.
Judge Stanley issued an order compelling the defendant to appear at 9 a.m. on Aug. 20 for a contempt proceeding. During that hearing, the defendant must demonstrate why the state’s requests should not be granted and why a finding of contempt should be avoided.
TROH will continue to monitor these proceedings as they advance through the Clallam County court system.