Pedestrian hit by projectile, then rifle fired as car drove by Sonora police officer

Two men were arrested early Saturday after someone in a car fired a blow gun at a pedestrian and a rifle accidentally went off in the vehicle's back seat as the suspects drove by a police officer.

Shawn Finigan, 24, was arrested on suspicion of negligent discharge of a gun, assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a loaded gun in a vehicle, according to a Sonora police news release. Finigan has since been released from jail after posting a $40,000 bail bond.

Dylan Hicks, 18, was arrested on suspicion of carrying a loaded gun in a vehicle. Police said his bail was set at $5,000, and he was released from jail to appear in court at a later date.

The incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on Washington Street in downtown Sonora. Officer Curtis Hankins was standing outside his patrol car near the Sonora Inn hotel, when he spotted a black car drive by, heading north on Washington.

As the car drove by, Hankins heard a loud pop. Hankins then spotted a man yelling. The man was standing along Washington about 100 feet south of where the officer was.

Hankins got in his patrol car and drove to the man, who said he had been hit with a projectile fired from the car that drove by him. The officer saw the pedestrian had a welt on his hip from the projectile.

The officer then caught up to the car and pulled it over near Sonora High School, several blocks away. There were four people in the car, including two minors. Police said Finigan and Hicks were in the car’s back seat.

Hankins found two .22 caliber rifles in the back seat, along with a blow gun and a pellet gun. Police said there also were numerous expended and unexpended shell casings in the car.

Investigators later determined that Finigan and Hicks were shooting the guns and blow gun, and Finigan fired the blow gun projectile that hit the pedestrian at a high velocity, according to police.

Finigan then moved one of the rifles, which fired one shot through the car’s back window as the vehicle drove by the officer. Police said the bullet almost hit Hicks’ head.

This story was originally published September 3, 2017 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Pedestrian hit by projectile, then rifle fired as car drove by Sonora police officer."