Knife-Wielding Felon Who Lunged at Deputy Gets 4 Years in Prison

An ex-convict who pulled a knife on a sheriff's deputy and was shot in the ensuing confrontation was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison.

Patrick Domingo Halbert, 30, of Perris pleaded guilty last month to assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer. The plea was made directly to Riverside County Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez, without any input from the District Attorney's Office.

Hernandez imposed the low-term sentence for the assault count, plus an additional year for Halbert's being a parolee at the time of the crime, which happenedDec. 18 after a deputy was called to investigate reports of a man brandishing a knife in the 700 block of Penasco Grande Street in Perris.

A homeowner who spotted the defendant and an associate prowling around outside his garage confronted the pair, at which point Halbert flashed a knife and "threatened the caller," said sheriff's spokesman Albert Martinez.

A deputy rolling to the location spotted Halbert and the other man walking toward the intersection of Arrowhead Circle and Mountain Avenue, according to Martinez.

"The (deputy) exited his car and attempted to stop and question the suspects ... one (of whom) stopped and complied with the deputy's command," Martinez said. "(Halbert), who was armed with a knife, ignored the commands and advanced toward the deputy."

According to Martinez, the lawman opened fire in self-defense, inflicting a non-life-threatening wound. The deputy was not hurt.

Halbert was transported to Riverside County Medical Center in Moreno Valley for treatment. The other man, whose identity was not disclosed, was briefly detained for questioning, then released, Martinez said.

According to court records, Halbert has prior convictions for grand theft, misdemeanor battery on a peace officer, possession of illegal drugs and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

— City News Service.