San Diego

Bail for Sagon Penn, charged with misdemeanor battery and vandalism, was raised Wednesday from $10,000 to $25,000.

The motion to raise the bail came from Deputy City Atty. David James, who originally had requested the $25,000 bail last week when Penn was arraigned before another judge.

San Diego Municipal Judge Frank Brown raised the bail but not before a court outburst by Penn, previously acquitted in two trials involving the death of a San Diego Police officer. Penn declared that he wanted to make “a statement,” but Brown told him to sit down. Penn, 27, started talking about his ex-girlfriend, but bailiffs got him to sit down.

The judge questioned how Penn would behave on the street, if granted bail, if he could not control himself in court.

Penn shot and killed officer Thomas Riggs on March 31, 1985, wounded officer Donovan Jacobs, and civilian ride-along Sarah Pina-Ruiz in what he says was a racial incident provoked by Jacobs, who is white. Penn is black.

Two juries in two trials acquitted Penn of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and assault in 1986 and 1987 after Penn’s lawyer, Milt Silverman, argued that Penn shot the victims in self-defense.

In the recent case, Penn is charged with beating Roger Worshim, who was visiting Penn’s ex-girlfriend, Donna Parks, at her North Park apartment on June 1.

Worshim appeared in court Wednesday and told the judge he wanted the charges dropped.