SIMI VALLEY : Man Shot by Police Faces Murder Charge
The mentally ill Simi Valley man who was shot by a police officer after allegedly lunging at him and his partner with a knife has been charged with trying to murder a police officer.
Prosecutors have also charged 32-year-old Mark Pedersen with assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer. His arraignment has been postponed until Jan. 9.
On Dec. 18, a Simi Valley policeman shot Pedersen twice and accidentally wounded his fellow officer when Pedersen allegedly charged the pair with a knife at his parents’ home, where he lived.
One of the bullets passed through Pedersen’s chest and shattered Officer Dave Raduziner’s right thighbone, police said.
Pedersen’s parents allowed police to enter their home after Pedersen locked himself inside his bedroom and they began to hear noises that suggested he was hurting himself. They have since criticized police, arguing that the officers were overzealous and rushed their son before a county mental health crisis team could arrive.
Police have defended their actions, arguing that Pedersen threatened the officers and was acting unpredictably. Police also said they had visited the Pedersen home 21 previous times in response to complaints about the son.
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