Photo: Robert Moran
In the early hours of November 23rd , a report was made to the Hemet Police Department dispatch regarding shots fired in the area of the 3400 block of West Florida Avenue. Two officers responded to the scene. While one officer searched the area for evidence of a shooting, the other spoke with the reporting party in a parking lot near a fast food restaurant.
It was about 4:19AM, 15 minutes after the report was made, when a vehicle slowly passed by in the parking lot where the officer was speaking with the reporting party.
The reporting party told the officer the driver of the car looked like the shooter. At this time, a shot was fired and the officer was struck in the leg. The suspect drove out of the parking lot onto Florida Avenue as other officers surrounded him. The wounded officer, nor any other officer, fired back.
The suspect was identified as 20-year old Robert Moran. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of his arrest. On the front passenger seat of his car was a handgun. He was arrested for attempted murder of a peace officer and booked with $1Million set as his bail amount.
At the time of this writing, he remains in custody at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside County.
The injured officer has been part of the Hemet Police Department for 9 months. He received treatment for his non-life threatening gunshot wound to his knee at Riverside County Hospital.
He is reported to be alert and in good spirits.
Photo from the Hemet Police Department
