Henderson police shot at 19-year-old who pointed gun at them after setting house fire

According to an arrest report obtained by 13 Action News, a 19-year-old individual was arrested in Henderson on Tuesday following a disturbing incident. The report reveals that the teenager, identified as Mark Ronald Ellsworth, allegedly used an axe to destroy his own bed and then proceeded to set his parents' house on fire.

Upon the arrival of Henderson police officers, Ellsworth reportedly pointed a rifle at them, prompting the officers to discharge their firearms, as detailed in the report.

Ellsworth's mother had contacted emergency services just before noon on Tuesday, informing them that her son was experiencing a mental breakdown and had dismantled his bed with an axe. Concerned for her safety, she left the residence near College and Paradise Hills drives and sought refuge at nearby Mannion Middle School to call 911.

In her conversation with the authorities, Ellsworth's mother expressed her belief that her son would engage in a confrontation with the police and resist arrest until it escalated to a fatal outcome, as stated in the report. She also informed the officers that Ellsworth had access to a shotgun.

As officers established a perimeter around the house, they observed thick black smoke emerging from the residence, coinciding with multiple incoming 911 calls reporting the fire.

According to the report, three Henderson police officers were positioned near the rear wall of the property, attempting to establish contact with Ellsworth, when he emerged from the house holding a long rifle and aimed it in the direction of the officers.

In response, two officers discharged their weapons towards Ellsworth, who then retreated back into the house. He subsequently reappeared without the firearm and was successfully apprehended by law enforcement.

During the investigation, Ellsworth exercised his Miranda rights and declined to provide any statements to the investigators.

Subsequently, Ellsworth was booked into the Henderson Detention Center, facing charges that include first-degree arson and four counts of assault on a protected person with a deadly weapon.