COUNTYWIDE : Man to Stand Trial Over CHP Incident
A Ventura man who allegedly pointed a gun at a California Highway Patrol officer in May was ordered Monday to stand trial on charges of assaulting a peace officer.
Dennis D. Agdeppa, 38, will be arraigned Aug. 2 before Superior Court Judge Allan L. Steele.
At a preliminary hearing Monday, CHP Officer George Orozco testified that he found himself behind Agdeppa’s car while rushing to an accident on California 150 east of Ojai. Although he was driving a marked car with flashing lights, Orozco said, Agdeppa refused to slow down or pull over and would speed up when the officer tried to pass.
Orozco said he radioed ahead and CHP Officer Mark Rasmussen set up a roadblock. When Agdeppa reached the blockade, he veered onto Bo-Merritt Road and then down a dirt road that ended in a walnut grove, Orozco said.
The officer pulled his service revolver and ordered Agdeppa to lie on the ground. But when he went to handcuff the suspect, Agdeppa wrested the gun away and aimed it at him, Orozco said. Rasmussen ordered Agdeppa to drop the gun and when he refused, Rasmussen fired.
Agdeppa, who was hit in the arm and leg, limped during his court appearance. He is free on $100,000 bail. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
