Man Shot By Deputy Charged With Assault On Peace Officer

An ex-con shot by a sheriff's deputy after he allegedly brandished a knife was charged Dec. 24 with assault on a peace officer.

Patrick Domingo Halbert, 29, of Perris, was arrested last week after a confrontation with a Riverside County sheriff's deputy in Perris.

Halbert appeared before Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez, who assigned him a public defender and scheduled arraignment for Thursday. Halbert is being held at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, with his bail set at $90,000.

The gunfire erupted after a deputy was sent about 7 a.m. last Wednesday to investigate reports of a man brandishing a knife in the 700 block of Penasco Grande Street, according to sheriff's Deputy Albert Martinez.

A homeowner who spotted the defendant and an associate prowling outside his garage confronted the pair, at which time Halbert flashed a knife and "threatened the caller," Martinez alleged.

The deputy spotted Halbert and the other suspect walking toward 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 deputy opened fire in self-defense, inflicting a non-life-threatening gunshot 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 and 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 controlled substances. --City News Service