Suspect In Attempted Roadside Shooting of CHP Officer May Stand Trial
Heath Austin Nunes, 38, was dressed in Yolo County Jail garb and present in court in Woodland on October 17 as lawyers discussed the almost two dozen felony charges he may face in connection with his being shot while reaching for a gun in his car parked near Interstate 5.
The incident began as a CHP officer on patrol the evening of Monday, August 18 stopped to make a welfare check after noticing two disabled motorcycles and a car parked on the shoulder of southbound I-5 a few feet north of the County Road 102 offramp in northeast Woodland. The CHP officer quickly ascertained to his satisfaction that the two motorcycles were suffering minor headlight problems and allowed them to leave. According to a Davis Enterprise report, these two riders were affiliated with the Hells Angels. One of the riders said “Nunes was with them,” according the newspaper’s report.
Nunes was found on the side of Interstate 5 in Woodland.
During this discussion, the third person involved walked back to the car and got in. Nunes was later identified as the car’s driver. The first officer who had come on the scene suspected Nunes was perhaps under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He called for backup and four more CHP officers quickly arrived to provide assistance.
The officers approached Nunes in the car and questioned him. Nunes denied he’d done any drinking that evening. Officers ordered him to exit his car. Nunes said he didn’t feel safe, getting out of the driver’s side of the vehicle with freeway traffic going by. But he did say he was willing to take a Breathalyzer test, according to a CHP report. But then Nunes declined to move to the passenger side of his vehicle where one of the officers could administer the test and be safe from freeway traffic.
As this argument grew heated, Nunes allegedly reached for a handgun either on or under his seat. One officer saw the gun, drew his weapon and fired a single round at the driver, who suffered a non-life-threatening wound. Patrolmen immediately administered aid to the driver before he was evacuated by air ambulance to the UCD Medical Center in Sacramento.
A preliminary hearing to determine whether Nunes must stand trial was scheduled for December 22 in Yolo County Superior Court Judge Paul Richardson’s court.
Read More:
CrimeVoice: Two Woodland Officer Involved Shootings Raise Concerns Over Crisis Intervention
Davis Enterprise: Man shot by CHP officer charged with assault, gang activity
