A mental competency evaluation was ordered Friday for an ex-convict accused of shooting and wounding a San Diego police officer at the end of a vehicle pursuit and foot chase through City Heights.
Ignacio Canela, 32, is charged with premeditated attempted murder and other counts stemming from the October 2013 shooting that seriously injured Officer Timothy Bell.
Judge Amalia Meza ordered that Canela be evaluated to determine if he understands the charges against him and can assist his attorney at trial. The judge suspended criminal proceedings and scheduled a further hearing on Feb. 23.
During a preliminary hearing last year, Bell testified that he was wounded after wrestling with Canela inside a dark drainage tunnel.
Bell said he caught up with Canela — who officers had pursued through local streets while trying to stop him for outstanding felony warrants — and chased the suspect through a canyon and into the tunnel.
The five-year SDPD veteran was shot in the left arm, twice in the left hip and once in the abdomen.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Runyon said officers spotted Canela coming out of a residence on Wightman Street on Oct. 24, 2013, and get into a silver Dodge SUV with a female companion.
About two months before the shooting, Canela was charged with possession of methamphetamine for sale, possession of cocaine, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and possession of burglary tools. However, he failed to appear in court to face the charges, and warrants were issued for his arrest.
Canela allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase down city streets and freeways before reaching a dead end in the 3000 block of Central Avenue. There, he and a woman jumped out of the SUV, which continued rolling and went down a brushy slope, Runyon said.
Canela — who has been to prison several times on burglary and other charges dating back to 2004 — faces 40 years to life in prison if convicted.
—City News Service
