Suspect shot by Modesto police had pointed a gun at Turlock officer, authorities say

Modesto police on Thursday released the name of the officer involved in a shooting Monday on Oakdale Road as well as more details about the suspect’s past.

Sgt. Jerry Ramar, a 15-year law enforcement veteran, shot 38-year-old Jason Boyd Perkins near a Bank of America in a shopping center on Oakdale Road, north of Briggsmore Avenue, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves.

No details have been released about what led to the shooting, but Ramar and an officer responded to the shopping center because bail bond agents called to say Perkins was wanted, dangerous and possibly armed.

The bail bond agents were looking for Perkins because of warrants he had in Tuolumne County, but he was also wanted by Turlock police for allegedly pointing a gun at an officer.

The incident in Turlock occurred July 13, when undercover detectives with the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force found a Honda Civic stolen from Livermore parked at the Venice Motel on North Golden State Boulevard, said Sgt. Russ Holeman.

The detectives asked Turlock police to respond so that a marked patrol vehicle could be used to conduct a traffic stop.

Holeman said Perkins got into the Civic and drove out of the motel parking lot.

When he turned west on Canal Drive, a Turlock officer attempted to pull him over but he failed to yield and a pursuit ensued. It last about eight minutes and reached speeds of 60 mph on surface streets before leaving the city on West Main Street, then heading north to Fulkerth Road and back to Golden State, where officers lost sight of the Civic.

Perkins is alleged to have pointed a gun out the window at an officer who was on a side street waiting to join the pursuit, Holeman said.

One of the pursuing officers recognized Perkins from previous contacts. A warrant for his arrest was issued for felony evading, auto theft and assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.

Perkins also had warrants for his arrest out of Tuolumne County for burglary, theft of a firearm, failure to appear and contempt of court, and he was on probation in Santa Clara County for drug charges, Graves said.

She said Ramar and an officer responded to the scene and Ramar shot Perkins during the initial contact.

She did not release any additional details on Thursday about what transpired during that contact or if Perkins had a weapon.

Perkins was taken to a local hospital and remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Ramar was the officer who shot a Turlock man in 2008 who was savagely beating his 2-year-old son on a rural road outside of Turlock. Ramar shot the man as he raised his middle finger and resumed kicking the child lying in the road. He fired one shot and struck the man in the forehead, killing him.

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Suspect shot by Modesto police had pointed a gun at Turlock officer, authorities say."