Insets: Beau Lieurance (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office/KSAZ/YouTube). Background: The Arizona residence where Beau Lieurance allegedly threatened his mother and another person with a gun (KSAZ/YouTube).
An Arizona man has been ordered to serve one year in jail after authorities said he aimed an assault rifle at his mother during a dispute over what he believed was his “entitlement” to “part of the house” where they both lived. Prosecutors alleged he pointed the weapon at his mother and pulled the trigger, though the gun did not fire.
Beau Lieurance, 28, was sentenced last week to 12 months in county jail followed by four years of supervised probation beginning Aug. 27, according to a sentencing order obtained by Law&Crime.
Lieurance entered a plea agreement in early August, admitting guilt to two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The charges stemmed from allegations that he pointed the assault rifle at his mother and an “elderly” man who was staying at the home. Prosecutors also suggested his behavior may have been influenced in part by his heavy involvement with the video game “Total War,” which they said he played as much as 60 hours a week.
“I finally became fed up,” Lieurance reportedly said while appearing in court earlier this year.
“It was my part of the house which I haven’t gained entitlement to over the last seven years,” Lieurance said, according to local Fox affiliate KSAZ.
At the time of his arrest, Lieurance faced several charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a weapon during the commission of a felony, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Court records show he accepted the plea deal on July 30.
Authorities have not made clear whether Lieurance knew the firearm would not discharge. Prosecutors, however, raised concerns about his mental health and what they described as an intense fixation on video games as possible factors in the incident.
“There are allegations that he currently plays a video game titled ‘Total War,’” a Maricopa County prosecutor said during a February hearing. “He plays that approximately 50 to 60 hours per week. There are concerns with the people that he plays with … that are based, possibly in North Africa, that have ties to Islamic extremists.”
Lieurance rejected the allegations in court, calling the charges “completely false” and insisting that he was the victim.
“It was very obvious to any neighbor you could ask of that it was an intimidation for three to four days,” Lieurance said. “I believe that certain liquids was laced in some of my drinks.”
The prosecutor who spoke to the court said Lieurance admitted to officers that he has “secret apps on his phone that he uses to communicate with individuals that he is playing ‘Total War’ with.”
“Total War” is a strategy video game series with multiple titles and genres featuring an “exhilarating mix of turn-based empire building and colossal real-time battles.”
Lieurance was ordered on Thursday to pay restitution “for all economic loss to all victims” in addition to spending 12 months in jail and serving four years of probation. His probation conditions include domestic violence counseling, a mental health evaluation and “any recommended treatment,” according to the sentencing order.
“Defendant shall be eligible for early release directly into an inpatient mental health facility that is previously approved by adult probation and the court,” the order says. “If defendant is released into such program, full compliance and successful completion of that program shall be a condition of probation. If defendant fails to do so, he shall immediately return to jail to serve out whatever the remaining portion of his jail term is that he has yet to serve.”
Lieurance has been ordered not to have contact with his mom, and he must not return to her home without written approval from his probation officer.
“Such approval shall not be granted … if and when there are any active orders of protection or other court orders preventing such conduct,” the sentencing order concludes.
The post Son who plays video games 60 hours a week and became ‘fed up’ with mom during fight about ‘entitlement’ to house learns his fate after pulling assault rifle on her first appeared on Law & Crime.
