A 38-year-old Victorville man was arrested early Monday after authorities say he pointed a loaded handgun at a woman and screamed at her near one of the city's busiest intersections. Deputies identified the man as Orlando Brazier, who was taken into custody following a call about a man with a gun near Palmdale Road and Kentwood Boulevard.
Victorville Police Department deputies responded to the report at approximately 2:05 a.m. Monday, according to Victor Valley News Group. Palmdale Road, also known as State Route 18, is a major east-west corridor through Victorville near civic offices and retail centers, according to AARoads, which helps explain why deputies were able to reach the scene quickly after the call came in.
Deputies located a man matching the description the victim provided. Per the department's statement, Brazier had approached the woman, pointed a firearm at her, and yelled at her. He was taken into custody on suspicion of assault with a firearm on a person, brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner, carrying a concealed firearm, and obstructing a peace officer.
What Deputies Say They Found
According to the department statement relayed by the outlet, Brazier was carrying a loaded SIG Sauer P365 at the time of his arrest. The compact 9mm pistol, which holds a 10-round magazine and features a 3.1-inch barrel, became compliant for civilian sale in California in late 2023 after clearing the state's Unsafe Handgun Act roster requirements, per Guns & Ammo. It has since become a popular choice for concealed carry.
Brazier was arrested and booked at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto. The facility is a medium-security county jail run by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department that holds pretrial detainees and other county inmates, according to the SBC Sentinel. County supervisors approved a final expansion phase for the jail in July 2024, adding 353 beds to boost capacity for the sheriff's department, per Victor Valley News.
The Contract Behind Victorville's Police Force
The Victorville Police Department itself is not a standalone city agency — it operates as a contract station of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, a relationship that dates back to 1962 as the county's first contract city operation, according to the City of Victorville. The department covers more than 74 square miles and serves over 140,000 residents. As of July 2024, that municipal policing contract was valued at $38 million annually, making it the county's second-largest law enforcement contract, per Victor Valley News.
The victim's identity has not been released. It remains unclear whether the firearm was legally registered to Brazier, and no formal charges from the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office had been announced as of this reporting. The exact circumstances that led to the confrontation on Palmdale Road also have not been detailed publicly.
Potential Charges Brazier Could Face
Assault with a firearm on a person under California Penal Code Section 245(a)(2) is a wobbler offense, meaning prosecutors could pursue it as a misdemeanor carrying six months to a year in county jail, or as a felony carrying two, three, or four years in state prison and fines up to $10,000, according to Eisner Gorin LLP. Brandishing a concealable firearm in a threatening manner under Penal Code Section 417 is a misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum of three months up to a year in county jail and fines up to $1,000, per DCD Law.
Carrying a concealed firearm without a valid permit under Penal Code Section 25400 is typically a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail, though it can become an automatic felony under aggravating factors such as prior felony convictions or a stolen firearm, according to Shouse Law Group. Obstructing a peace officer under Penal Code Section 148(a)(1) is a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine, per the Silver Law Firm.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact sheriff's dispatch at 760-956-5001. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to We-Tip by phone or text at 844-909-3006.
