Former Reporter Gets Probation for Attack on Officer

A former reporter for a tabloid newspaper will serve two years’ probation for stabbing a police officer with a ballpoint pen after he was denied an interview with detectives who were investigating the death of actor William Shatner’s wife.

David Pearson Sargeant, 40, pleaded no contest Tuesday in Van Nuys Superior Court to one count of battery on a peace officer. The charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, according to prosecutors.

As part of his agreement, Sargeant must enroll in anger management classes and complete 50 hours of community service, prosecutors said. He was ordered to return to court July 6 for a progress report.

Sargeant, a reporter for the Star tabloid, inquired into the death of Nerine Shatner, who drowned in the pool of her Studio City home last August.

The 5-foot-11, 230-pound reporter allegedly became irate with officers when he was informed he would not be able to talk with detectives. He stabbed Los Angeles Police Officer Joseph Miranda twice in the right hand with a ballpoint pen outside the North Hollywood substation, police said. A TV cameraman who witnessed the attack notified other officers, who subdued Sargeant and arrested him.

When contacted Wednesday, a representative for the Star said Sargeant no longer works there.

Nerine Shatner, 40, was found at the bottom of the pool by her husband, William Shatner of “Star Trek” fame. She had a blood alcohol level of .27, more than three times the legal limit for driving, according to the autopsy report.

Authorities think she dove into the pool, hit her head on the bottom and drowned. The autopsy revealed two cracked neck vertebrae and facial bruises.