Police: Suspect shot after attacking officer in Livingston

A California Highway Patrol officer suffered injuries to his face and arms early Tuesday and shot the man believed to have attacked him, Livingston police reported.

The officer, whose name was not released, was taken to an area hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, Chief Ruben Chavez said in a telephone interview.

The suspect, 24-year-old Raul Maldonado, was shot once about 12:41 a.m. on the second story of a home in the 1400 block of Linden Court in Livingston, officers said in a brief news release.

“The suspect had some type of media device in his pocket, a cellphone or an iPod, and the bullet went through the media device and grazed his leg,” Chavez said. “The bullet did not penetrate his skin.”

Chavez said CHP officers received multiple 911 calls to respond to the home and requested that Livingston police officers provide backup. Chavez said he could not comment on the nature of the 911 calls.

Once inside, according to police, Maldonado attacked the CHP officer “unprovoked” and the officer shot Maldonado once. Police said Maldonado advanced again on the officers and two Taser stun guns were deployed, one by a CHP officer and one by a Livingston police officer.

Maldonado received medical treatment and is also expected to make a full recovery, police said.

Chavez said the motive behind the attack remains unclear.

Two CHP officers and three Livingston police officers were involved in the incident, police said.

Chavez said the case remains under investigation and that there was no timetable available for releasing the names of the officers involved.

Maldonado was booked into the Merced County Jail on felony counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily injury, and misdemeanor counts of resisting a public officer and battery on a peace officer. His bail was set at more than $600,000, according to booking records.

Officer Moises Onsurez, spokesman for the Merced CHP office, declined to comment on the incident and referred all questions to the Livingston Police Department, the agency leading the investigation.

This story was originally published June 23, 2015 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Police: Suspect shot after attacking officer in Livingston."