Man accused of fighting PSPD officers, prompting OIS arraigned
The man accused of threatening people with a knife and fighting Palm Springs police officers, leading to an officer-involved shooting, was arraigned Wednesday morning.
According to a criminal complaint, Kevyn Matthew Weintraub, 43, was charged with assault on an officer with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury, battery on an officer, assault on a person causing great bodily injury, resisting an officer and making a false bomb report to an officer.
According to the Palm Springs Police Department, officers were initially called to the area of Camino Parocela and South Palm Canyon Drive last Thursday at around 4:15 p.m. for reports of a man, later identified as Weintraub, waving a knife around and fighting people.
Jeff Orozco, the owner of Gentlemen’s Barber Shop on Indian Canyon Drive, told News Channel 3’s Jake Ingrassia that Weintraub entered his store, threatened him, and shouted racist and homophobic slurs.
“He wasn’t just targeting Mexicans, in a way he was, but even the gay guys, the gay community he was calling them the ‘f word’ and all that and it’s not cool. It’s not cool to treat people like that,” Orozco said.
Read: Barbershop owner says man shot by PSPD shouted racist, homophobic slurs
Orozco said Weintraub left when police arrived. Witnesses added that he traveled down Indian Canyon, ending up at a nearby construction site.
PSPD Lt. William Hutchinson said as officers attempted to arrest Weintraub, a struggle broke out, leading to him being shot by officers. Weintraub sustained non-life threatening injuries. An officer was also hurt during the altercation and was hospitalized with moderate injuries.
“I did witness the second officer his hand it was like his wrist was hyperextended …contorted…and a large amount of blood,” said Philip Becerra, an eyewitness to the incident.
The officer was released from the hospital the next day.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Weintraub was initially set to be arraigned Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio but was not medically cleared to go to court. He was arraigned Wednesday morning, pleading not guilty to all counts.
He is currently being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside in lieu of $70,000 bail, according to jail records.
John Hall, public information officer for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, said Weintraub is scheduled for a bail review hearing and felony settlement conference on August 21.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
