Man Pleads Not Guilty in Officer’s Death
An ex-con with a lengthy criminal record and history of mental problems pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and other charges stemming from the death of San Diego motorcycle Officer Terry William Bennett.
Prosecutors filed three special-circumstance allegations against Kevin Gerard Williams, 37, that could lead to the death penalty if he is convicted. Bennett, 38, a 13-year veteran of the Police Department, was killed Thursday when his motorcycle was struck by the driver of a stolen pickup truck.
In a brief hearing in San Diego County Superior Court, prosecutors noted that Williams had twice been arrested for traffic incidents in which he drove a vehicle toward police officers. As a teenager, he was sent to a state mental hospital and later to prison for a burglary conviction.
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