San Diego

A former reserve officer for the San Diego Police Department was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

David Watson, 32, of Santee, was remanded into custody after a preliminary hearing at which San Diego Municipal Court Judge Herbert Exarhos increased his bail to $15,000.

Watson was arrested Aug. 31 after two people in a moving van told police he shot at them on Interstate 8 at 3:10 a.m. near the Fairmount Drive exit. Watson had been free on a $3,500 bail bond, and has pleaded innocent to all charges.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Hugh McManus said Watson fired at least three shots at the van. The bullets missed driver Randy Zummo, 32, and his passenger, Robert Tidmore, 25, both of San Diego, by inches. One bullet lodged in the van’s dashboard and another in the vehicle’s door.

Zummo testified Wednesday that a passenger in Watson’s car threw debris with liquid in it that struck his van’s windshield. The passenger then threw out more debris that also hit their vehicle, he said.

Zummo said he drove alongside Watson and yelled at him, using profanities. Watson responded by shooting at them, he said.