Port Angeles Man Pleads Not Guilty to Domestic Violence Strangulation Charge After Arrest at County Courthouse

A 26-year-old Port Angeles man pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Clallam County Superior Court to a charge of second-degree assault by strangulation, a domestic violence offense stemming from an alleged July 6 attack on a woman at her Port Angeles apartment.

Elijah D. Creed entered the plea at his July 14 arraignment before Judge Brent Basden, waiving a formal reading of the charging document. 

The court set a two-day trial for September 8, 2026, with a status and omnibus conference scheduled for August 14. The speedy trial deadline in the case is September 12

Judge Basden also granted a no-contact order protecting the alleged victim. Court minutes state that Creed was advised of the order and served with it.

Creed's appointed public defender asked the court to lower his $20,000 bail, which was set at his first appearance on July 7. Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols appeared for the State. After hearing from the parties, the court left bail at $20,000.

During the hearing, Creed told the court that he has not been allowed to take a couple of his medications while in jail. Court minutes reflect that Judge Basden was unsure of the jail's rules.

Creed, who has been in custody since his July 6 arrest, appeared in person and remains jailed in lieu of bail.

The Charge

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steven P. Johnson Jr. filed the criminal information on July 9, charging Creed with one count of assault in the second degree by strangulation, with a special allegation that the offense was committed against an intimate partner.

The charge is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both, plus restitution and assessments.

The Allegations

According to the probable cause statement filed by Port Angeles Police Officer Jason Hooper, police responded around 2 p.m. on July 6 to a reported domestic violence assault at an apartment in the 900 block of West Lauridsen Boulevard.

A 34-year-old woman told police that she and Creed, whom she had previously dated and who stayed with her occasionally, had been arguing off and on for several days. The Olympic Herald is not naming the woman because she is the alleged victim of domestic violence.

The woman reported that during the argument, Creed pushed her onto her bed, straddled her so she could not move her arms, pulled her hair, and placed a hand on her neck and squeezed. 

She told police she could not breathe or speak, and that she tried to tell Creed to stop but could not. She said he stopped only when an alarm on his phone went off.

She also told police that Creed drank a lot and had been doing a lot of "whip-its" recently, which the report describes as inhaling nitrous oxide from compressed canned products such as whipped cream canisters and Dust Off compressed air. She reported that Creed inhaled Dust Off at her apartment before leaving for the courthouse.

Officer Hooper wrote that the woman's voice was raspy when he spoke with her, that she said her neck and throat hurt, and that he observed slight red marks on her neck, with one on the right side more apparent and about the size of a quarter. He photographed her neck, face, and head, and encouraged her to go to Olympic Medical Center for an evaluation.

Arrested Leaving a Courtroom

The woman told police that Creed was on probation and had a court hearing at 2 p.m. that day. Officer Hooper checked the courthouse parking lot and found a gray Honda Civic registered to Creed parked near the building.

After interviewing the woman, Hooper returned to the courthouse and arrested Creed as he exited a courtroom. Creed complied and was handcuffed.

After being read his Miranda rights, Creed told police that the two had argued, that he had done "whip-its" with the woman, and that she had been "physical" with him and he was defending himself. 

He told the officer that the woman was often physical with him and that he "should have" reported it. When asked, Creed denied strangling her. He was booked into the Clallam County Corrections Facility.

The Case So Far

At Creed's preliminary appearance on July 7, Judge Basden found probable cause, appointed the public defender's office, and signed a no-contact order. 

Creed’s public defender asked that Creed be released on his personal recognizance. The court instead granted the State's proposed conditions of release, including $20,000 bail.

Should Creed post bail, his conditions of release include maintaining his residence at a specified Port Angeles address, travel restricted to Washington State, no contact with the woman, no firearms or other deadly weapons, no alcohol, and no drugs except as prescribed by a physician.

The State filed the information two days later, and at a July 9 hearing before Judge Elizabeth Stanley the parties agreed to set arraignment for July 14.

Under the case schedule signed Tuesday, the State and defense must complete their discovery obligations by August 7, ahead of the August 14 omnibus conference and the September 8 trial date.