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Young children of armed US Marine colonel plead with him ‘not to shoot them and their mom’, as he beat up his wife and threatened to kill her during drunken two-hour stand-off with police

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Army Colonel Owen G Ray, 47, and his wife, Kristen, got into an argument on Sunday night after she believed him to be intoxicated

Kristen said she became frightened during the argument and hid in the bedroom of her two young children, ages 7 and 10

That is when Ray allegedly, retrieved a shotgun and two pistols from the garage, began physically assaulting his wife and threatening to kill her in front of the children

His eldest daughter, 16, called police and, when officers arrived, they report that Ray was holding them hostage

The Green Beret let Kristen and his children go around 12.30am but allegedly threatened to kill anyone who tried to arrest him and kill himself

Ray surrendered around 2.30am on Monday morning and was charged with kidnapping, assault, harassment and reckless endangerment

Col. Ray is currently being held at the Pierce County Jail on a $1 million cash or bail bond

He is also scheduled to stand trial before a jury on February 18

He is also suspended from his current job as I Corps chief of staff while a civilian law enforcement investigation into the case continues

Army Colonel Owen G Ray, [photo], was arrested after he and his wife, Kristen, got into an argument after she believed him to be intoxicated. He is charged with one count of kidnapping in the first degree, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of felony harassment and one count of reckless endangerment.

A Green Beret staff officer has been charged after he allegedly threatened to kill his wife in front of his three children and then held them hostage during a two-hour standoff with police on Sunday night.
Army Colonel Owen G Ray, 47, is accused of beating his wife, Kristen, on Sunday, December 27, in their home on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Ray assaulted his wife in the presence of his two youngest children aged 7 and 10, while his 16-yearold daughter called the police.
When officers arrived on the scene, Ray – armed with a shotgun and two pistols – reportedly warned that if anyone tried to arrest him, he would kill them and himself, according to Military.com.
Ray let his wife and children go around 12.30am. he ended the standoff two hours when he surrendered himself around 2.30am, police say.

Colonel Owen Ray [left], with his wife Kristen, [right], and their three children. Kristen said she became frightened during the argument and hid in the bedroom of her two young children, ages 7 and 10.

According to a probable cause affidavit, viewed by Military.com, the incident began after Ray, a member of the Army Special Forces, and his wife got into an argument, in which she accused her husband of being drunk.
Kristen became scared and hid in the bedroom of her 7-year-old and 10-year-old, the affidavit states.
Kristen told police she heard her husband say: ‘Let’s do this’ and went to the garage to retrieve his firearms, Military.com reports.
After finding his wife and children, Ray allegedly started ‘shouting and swinging the gun around.’
When Kristen threatened to call police, Ray is said to have become ‘enraged’ and aimed one of the guns at her, threatening to kill her in front of the children, reported Military.com.
Ray allegedly then kicked his wife repeatedly in the face and chest while the younger children screamed at him: ‘Don’t kill mom! Don’t shoot us!’  
At this point, around midnight on Sunday, Ray’s 16-year-old daughter dialed 911 and told dispatchers what was happening. 

In the midst of a domestic row Col. Owen Ray [photo] allegedly retrieved a shotgun and two pistols from the garage and began beating his wife, threatening to kill her in front of the children.

Dispatchers reported they could hear the younger children screaming over the phone. 
the colonel finally let his wife and children leave the bedroom, at which point they ran downstairs to the first floor, the affidavit states.
After officers arrived, Ray, his wife and their three children were still inside the house.
‘Ray could be heard saying, that law enforcement had surrounded the house so what choice did he have now and “You’re going to force me to kill myself,”‘ according to the affidavit.
He let his wife and young children exit the home at 12.33am and his eldest daughter soon followed.   

The couple’s eldest daughter, 16, called police and, when officers arrived, they report that Ray was holding them hostage 

Officers say that while speaking on the phone with Ray, the colonel threatened to shoot any officers who tried to arrest him and himself.  
‘He stated that he had killed a lot of people and he had no problem killing law enforcement if they made attempts to arrest him,’ according to the affidavit, viewed by Military.com.
At 2.22am on Monday morning, he finally surrendered and was arrested by officers with the Lakewood Police Department.    
He was charged with one count of kidnapping in the first degree, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of felony harassment and one count of reckless endangerment.
Ray is currently being held at the Pierce County Jail on a $1 million cash or bail bond.

Col. Ray and his wife live at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. After cops arrived Ray let his wife and children go around 12.30am before surrendering himself around 2.30am, after which he was arrested and charged

The Marine colonel has a bail hearing scheduled for January 4 and has been ordered to reappear in court on January 11 with his attorney.  
According to an official Army website, Ray has held a command at every level within the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), which deploys missions throughout the Indo-Pacific. 
He served as a detachment commander in 2003 and as company commander in Afghanistan in 2011.
In 2013, Ray commanded the 4th Battalion of 1st SFG (A) and deployed as part of the Special Operations Joint Task Force before assuming the position of I Corps chief of staff at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Ray is scheduled to stand trial before a jury on February 18.
He has been suspended from his current job as I Corps chief of staff while a civilian law enforcement investigation into the case continues.

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