Felon Who Shot Deputy in Coachella Convicted of Assault on Peace Officer

INDIO (CNS) - A convicted felon who shot a Riverside County sheriff's
deputy when the lawman attempted to arrest him at the end of a pursuit in
Coachella was convicted Wednesday of firearm assault on a peace officer and other
charges, though jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the most
serious allegation.
  

An Indio jury deliberated two days before finding Gildardo Davila Jr.,
35, guilty of the assault count, along with two counts of being a felon in
possession of a gun and one count of possession of controlled substances, with
sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
  

However, the panel was unable to overcome an impasse on the charge of
attempted murder of a peace officer, leading Superior Court Judge Ronald Toff
to declare a mistrial on that count.
  

Jurors acquitted Davila of a felony evading charge.
  

It was unclear whether the District Attorney's Office intends to retry
the attempted murder charge.
  

A sentencing hearing is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 6 at the Larson
Justice Center. Davila is being held in lieu of $5 million bail at the
Benoit Detention Center.
  

According to a sheriff's arrest warrant declaration, shortly before 8
p.m. on May 25, 2017, Deputy David Solis was in his patrol unit, passing the
intersection of First and Harrison streets in Coachella, when he spotted a
yellow Ford Mustang with paper plates commit an unspecified traffic violation.
  

The lawman signaled the driver -- later identified as Davila -- to
pull over, but he floored the car instead, triggering a chase, according to the
affidavit.
  

``During the pursuit, the deputy witnessed the suspect throw a handgun
from the vehicle,'' the document stated. ``The deputy witnessed the driver
of the vehicle commit numerous vehicle code violations and drive without due
regard for the public.''
  

Because of the escalating dangers to other drivers, a sheriff's
sergeant directed Solis to terminate the pursuit, which he did, allowing the
Mustang to drive out of sight. However, within a couple of minutes, Solis came
upon the car again, parked in the area of Calle Mendoza and Las Flores Avenue,
according to court papers.
  

When the lawman pulled near the Mustang, Davila allegedly ran from the
vehicle on foot, carrying a duffel bag. Solis remained in his patrol unit
and followed the fleeing man until he ran out of viable roadway in a field, at
which point the deputy ran after the defendant, according to the prosecution.
  

``As the deputy closed the gap on Davila, the suspect turned toward
the deputy,'' the declaration said. ``At this point, the deputy positively
identified Davila as a person he has had multiple past contacts with. Davila
had a gun and began shooting in the deputy's direction, striking him multiple
times.''
  

Solis was hit in the left hand, resulting in damage to his fingers.
His protective vest prevented one bullet from the 9mm pistol from penetrating
his stomach, but another round hit him just above the collar bone, court papers
said.
  

The gunfire knocked Solis to the ground, giving Davila time to get
away before other patrol units converged on the location, investigators said.
  

The defendant ran to a familiar area, changed clothes and dumped some
of his belongings, then headed to Mexico, according to prosecutors.
  

Solis underwent surgery at a regional trauma center and ultimately
recovered from his wounds, returning to duty weeks later.
  

Investigators seized 200 grams of methamphetamine and 30 grams of
heroin, along with an AR-15 rifle, among the items left behind by the
defendant, court papers said. The 9mm handgun was found in the field, near from
where the shooting occurred.
  

Davila was tracked to Mexicali, Mexico, where Mexican state police
took him into custody without incident a week later. He was immediately
extradited to the U.S. and jailed in Riverside County.
  

He has documented prior convictions for auto theft and felony
possession of controlled substances, for which he served time in prison.
  

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