Man shot by San Mateo police charged with assaulting officers

REDWOOD CITY (BCN) -- An Albany man wounded by police gunfire pleaded not guilty to five felonies Wednesday for allegedly trying to ram San Mateo officers with his car while fleeing on Saturday night, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

Kendel Timothy Hager, 31, has been charged with four counts of assault on a police officer, one count of evading police and three misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run, according to Wagstaffe.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on the charges this afternoon.

A police officer encountered Hager when responding to a disturbance call in the parking lot of a shopping center in the area of Laurie Meadows Drive and Pacific Boulevard at about 10 p.m. Saturday.

Hager allegedly rammed the arriving officer with his car and drove away. Officers then tried to pull him over a few blocks away, near the corner of East 40th Avenue and Regan Drive, but he drove at the officers standing in
the street, police said.

Two of the officers, a 34-year-old sergeant with 10 years on the force and a 26-year-old officer with one year at the department, fired at Hager, wounding him, police said.

But Hager continued fleeing, finally stopping about two more blocks away near the corner of East 39th Avenue and Gillis Drive, police said. He was arrested and treated for the gunshot wound before he was booked
into jail, police said.

The officers who opened fire have not been identified. They were placed on administrative leave after the shooting while the district attorney's office investigates the case, police said.