Suspect in Mountain View cop shooting charged with attempted murder
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - A man accused of shooting a Mountain View police officer at point-blank range during a traffic stop last weekend appeared in court Wednesday to face charges of attempted murder.
Jeffrey Choy, 39, was arraigned in Santa Clara County Superior Court in connection with a shooting early Saturday in Mountain View.
Authorities said Choy was driving a gold Ford Explorer that ran a stop sign and a traffic light on Villa Street near Hope Street, and an officer pulled him over about 12:38 a.m.
When the officer approached the car, Choy allegedly pointed a semi-automatic handgun out of the driver's-side window and fired two rounds at the officer, who was one foot away.
The officer was wounded in his left forearm by one bullet and another lodged in his bulletproof vest, which authorities said saved him from a second injury in the shoulder. The officer crawled back to his vehicle and called in a description of the suspect.
After the shooting, police said Choy left the scene and crashed his vehicle into a parked car a few minutes later on Higdon Street. The suspect then abandoned his car and fled on foot, authorities said.
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Following his arraignment on Wednesday, Choy was remanded without bail and faces life in prison if convicted, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney.
"An officer who was trying to make sure there weren't drunk drivers in Mountain View was almost killed the other night," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "It's outrageous. If it wasn't for luck, reflexes, and the officer's vest, this would be a murder. We will do everything in our power to make sure this person can never hurt anyone else again."
Choy's face and a semi-automatic handgun, which authorities said was illegal, can be seen in the video from the officer's body worn camera, authorities said.
Choy was tracked down and arrested after a short foot chase, about noon Sunday in Fremont by U.S. Marshals and Mountain View police detectives. Several Bay Area law enforcement agencies assisted in the search.