A man shot and wounded by a sheriff’s deputy in Thousand Palms pleaded guilty to felony resisting arrest Thursday, but an assault with a deadly weapon charge, stemming from allegations that he brandished a blade at the deputy, was dismissed.
Michael Curtis, 39, was sentenced to three years probation Thursday following his guilty plea.
Curtis was shot the morning of April 29 and hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, after a sheriff’s deputy encountered Curtis at a transient camp along Varner Road west of Washington Street.
The deputy — whose name was withheld — was conducting an area check at about 8 a.m. when he encountered Curtis and determined he had an outstanding arrest warrant, sheriff’s Deputy Robyn Flores said.
When the deputy tried to arrest him, Curtis advanced toward the deputy with a blade and was shot, Flores said. He initially was charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, with a criminal complaint alleging that he brandished “a cutting instrument with a 12-inch blade.”
Authorities did not disclose how many shots were fired, how many times Curtis was hit, or where he was struck.
Riverside County court records show that Curtis had bench warrants at the time for cases involving misdemeanor trespassing charges.
