Closing arguments will be heard this morning in Clark County Superior Court in the trial of a transient man accused of stealing a patrol car and trying to run over a sheriff’s deputy while making his getaway.
Raymond H. Hall, 30, is standing trial on charges of first-degree assault of Clark County sheriff’s Deputy Rob Ternus and unlawful possession of a firearm and theft of a firearm relating to a rifle that Ternus had in his patrol car.
On Thursday, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Alan Harvey rested his case. Defense attorney Jeff Sowder called one witness, Deputy Ternus, who had already testified for the prosecution.
Sowder wanted to point out statements that Ternus made to investigators following the shooting. In an interview, Ternus had said he walked to the front of the patrol car and then stepped back when he fired his weapon.
Ternus had earlier testified that Hall had accelerated straight toward him, and he jumped to the sidewalk when he shot his gun.
Sowder also pointed out that Ternus had access to police reports during the investigation of his shooting. Ternus testified, however, that he never looked at them.
The deputy said Tuesday that in the early morning of Dec. 26, he pulled over a pickup on Northeast 78th Street for having defective brake lights. He asked Hall, a passenger in the pickup, to step out and talk with him.
He said Hall ran away, circling a building while ignoring the deputy’s repeated commands to surrender, and then jumped into the deputy’s patrol car.
Hall allegedly sped away; the abandoned patrol car was later found several miles away, Ternus said. Hall, who suffered a back injury from being grazed by the bullet, was apprehended several hours later.
A decision on whether the shooting was justified is pending at the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office, though the investigation is complete.
After hearing more than three days of testimony, the jury of 12 Clark County citizens are expected to begin deliberations today.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.
