A Loma Portal man, who was wounded by police after he displayed a knife, was ordered on Aug. 9 to stand trial for exhibiting a deadly weapon to police officers.
Ryan Anthony Bowers, 25, was also ordered to stand trial for possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest in the Jan. 3 incident in the 3100 block of Cauby Street.
Three police officers responded to a 911 call from his family about a man trying to cut his own throat. When officers were let inside, Bowers moved towards them while displaying a knife around 9:50 p.m. and was shot in the torso.
The incident occurred as he approached police officers inside an apartment on Cauby Street, which is south of Midway Drive and west of Rosecrans Street.
Officer Matthew Steinbach testified he fired two shots as Bowers approached him holding a paring knife. He said he fired in self-defense as Bowers approached him and refused to comply with a command to drop the knife.
One shot missed and the bullet lodged inside a mattress and box springs inside Bowers’ bedroom, said Detective Marco Perez.
Bowers was rushed to a hospital and his injuries were initially life threatening. He recovered and was arraigned on charges on April 26.
A police radio dispatcher’s voice was played in the preliminary hearing with the dispatcher saying the man was reported to have bipolar disorder.
Perez told San Diego Superior Court Judge Steven Stone he found two glass pipes in Bowers’ bedroom that he said are the type used in smoking methamphetamine.
Attorneys submitted the case to Stone without arguments, and the judge found there was probable cause to show the offenses had been committed by Bowers.
Bowers pleaded not guilty at the end of the hearing. He was allowed to remain free on his own recognizance. A trial date was set for Oct. 23.