Arraignment was postponed Thursday for a 33-year-old man arrested on suspicion of trying to gun down police officers during a Clairemont-area SWAT standoff.
Hayden Abraham Gerson was charged with three counts of attempted murder of a police officer, interfering with an officer, and harm or interference with a police dog causing great bodily injury in connection with an incident that began shortly after 9 p.m. Monday.
His first court appearance was aborted when his attorney, Michael Pancer, asked for more time. Judge Frederick Maguire rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 22.
Gerson faces a maximum of 33 years and eight months in prison if convicted.
Police said officers responded to the 1400 block of Mount St. Helens Drive on the night of the incident to investigate a disturbance between a man and woman in front of a home.
While being questioned, Gerson allegedly became belligerent, ran into the house and retrieved a handgun. The officers took cover and called for backup from a special weapons and tactics unit, and Gerson went back into the residence, police said.
The SWAT personnel were in the process of taking up positions around the house when Gerson allegedly opened fire on two of them, prompting an exchange of gunfire that left no one wounded.
A short time later, Gerson came out of the residence unarmed.
As officers took him into custody, he became combative, punching and choking one officer and attacking a service dog before being zapped with an electric stun gun and taken into custody, Lt. Mike Holden said.
Around dawn, a hazardous-materials team and a bomb squad were called to the house after police found barrels with an unknown liquid inside, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. They gave an all-clear about two hours later.
Authorities did not disclose what was found in the containers.
–City News Service
