An itinerant man who allegedly tried to run over a Clark County sheriff’s deputy in a stolen patrol car on Sunday made his first appearance Monday in Clark County Superior Court.
Judge John Wulle set a no-bail hold for Raymond H. Hall, 30, after hearing from Deputy Prosecutor Alan Harvey that Hall has four pending felony criminal cases in Nevada and was wanted locally on identity theft and forgery charges.
He remains in the Clark County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree theft and a separate case alleging two counts of identity theft, 10 counts of forgery, two counts of criminal impersonation and four counts possession of stolen property.
“I want to know more about what’s going on in Nevada before addressing bail,” the judge said.
Wulle set arraignment for Jan. 7 and appointed attorney Jeff Sowder to represent Hall.
Hall allegedly led sheriff’s deputies on a wild chase that started about 6:30 a.m. Sunday in Hazel Dell, culminating in his being shot.
He is believed to have been the passenger in a car stopped by a deputy, who believed the passenger could possibly be in violation of a no-contact order with the driver. That’s when the passenger jumped out of the car, ran off and got into the deputy’s patrol car, according to court documents.
He allegedly tried to run over the deputy, who then discharged his firearm.
On Monday, a Clark County sheriff’s spokeswoman wouldn’t release the name of the deputy involved, though court records identified him as R. Ternus.
He was placed on routine administrative leave, pending the outcome of an investigation.
Sheriff’s major crimes detectives are conducting the investigation and will forward reports to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office for review, said sheriff’s Sgt. Chad Rothenberger.
Rothenberger said he suspects the deputy wasn’t in violation of any agency policy when he left his patrol car unlocked and the suspect climbed in; deputies always leave their cars unlocked when they make a traffic stop.
“You can’t plan for something like this to happen” Rothenberger said.
Hall was found 10 hours later with a gunshot graze on his torso, trying to leave the area in a taxi cab and wearing new clothes, according to court documents.
He also was booked in jail on suspicion, dating to November, of keeping numerous fake IDs, and writing checks and renting storage sheds using the fake names.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.
