Tuesday, March 13, 2006 • Suspect in attack on officers enters not guilty plea, two others face trial

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, March 13, 2006 edition of the Lassen County Times.

Two Susanville men will face trial for an incident during which three officers where injured responding to a disturbance at Banner Lassen Medical Center on Dec. 21.

A third will soon get a date for a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to hold him for trial.

Two Lassen County Sheriff’s deputies allegedly were severely injured while subduing the three men at Banner Lassen Medical Center on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

At 2:05 a.m. Susanville Police officers and deputies received a 911 call from an unidentified woman on a cell phone. She claimed there was a dead man in her car and she was taking him to the hospital.

When Officer A. Inman and deputies A. Sobol, S. Gualco and M. Bollinger arrived at the hospital, they discovered three men in a car and one appeared injured.

Officers proceeded to apprehend one of the allegedly intoxicated men after he resisted arrest. During a struggle, the deputies were attacked by one of the other men.

After the struggle, officers arrested 19-year-old Daniel Cordova, of Susanville. Cordova entered a not guilty plea Friday, Feb. 24 to seven charges.

He was originally arrested for possession or manufacture of a dangerous weapon with the intent to sell, possession of marijuana and resisting, delaying or obstructing of a police officer.

An amended complaint filed Jan. 10 charged Cordova with obstructing an officer causing great bodily injury to Gualco and Sobol; two counts of injuring Gualco; three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, not a firearm, on Gualco, Sobol and Inman; carrying a concealed dirk or dagger and manufacture or possession of metal knuckles.

Superior Court Judge Larry Dier appointed a public defender to represent Cordova, accepted a waiver of his right to a speedy preliminary hearing and set a hearing at 8:30 a.m. April 6 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.

Officers also arrested 22-year-old Eric Gonzalez and 25-year-old Shane Smith, both of Susanville, for drunk in public and resisting arrest and causing injury to a peace officer.

After further investigation, Lassen County Sheriff Steve Warren, in conjunction with Police Chief Chris Gallagher, asked District Attorney Bob Burns to add additional charges.

Gonzalez will face trial. Dier ordered Gonzalez held to answer on Friday, March 10 on one count of resisting arrest, one count of battery on a peace officer who was performing his duty and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, not a firearm.

Gonzales was not held to answer on one count of battery on a peace officer performing his duty and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, not a firearm.

Smith will face trial on four counts. Dier ordered him held to answer on Friday, March 10 on one count of resisting arrest, two counts of battery on a peace officer who was performing his duty and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, not a firearm. He was not held to answer on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, not a firearm.

Both Smith and Gonzalez are scheduled for arraignment in preparation for facing trial in Dept. 1 of Superior Court at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, March 13.