Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Confrontation with police leads to arrest

By Shari Kaplan

A 31-year-old San Jose man is accused of trying to run over three motorcyclists--who happened to be off-duty police--after a dust-up outside C.B. Hannegan's.

Dennis Clark pled not guilty June 11 in Santa Clara County Municipal Court to charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence.

Los Gatos police arrested Clark soon after the incident early June 7 and booked him into the county jail.

Earlier that evening, Clark was in front of C.B. Hannegan's at the same time as San Jose police officers Pedro Aguilar and Moses Barreras and Santa Clara County Department of Corrections officer Todd Kaufman. All the officers were in plain clothes. Clark asked someone for a light for his cigarette, and Kaufman offered a lighter.

According to the police report, Clark began acting hostile and assumed a fighting stance. LGPD Capt. Jeff Miller said that if it weren't for the intervention of a Hannegan's employee, a fight probably would have ensued. Instead, Clark left. About 10 minutes later, Aguilar, Barreras and Kaufman left on their civilian motorcycles.

While the trio was riding southbound on N. Santa Cruz Avenue, police said, they suddenly encountered a Ford Bronco driving northbound, headed straight for them. Aguilar and Barreras swerved to avoid being hit; Kaufman had to jump from his motorcycle and took cover behind it.

Aguilar and Barreras followed the driver, whom they later identified as Clark, as he drove westbound on Bachman Avenue and then onto Tait Avenue, trying to get a description. While on Tait, the Bronco suddenly went into reverse, almost backing over the two men, who swerved to avoid being hit. Clark returned to N. Santa Cruz Avenue, ran a red light at Saratoga Avenue and continued north, according to police reports.

Miller said he doesn't think Clark knew the trio were law enforcement personnel.

Barreras returned to C.B. Hannegan's and asked employees to call police. The victims flagged down LGPD Officer Sam Wonnell's car and directed him to Clark's Bronco. They identified Clark as the man they had previously spoken with. Based upon statements from the victims as well as those by witnesses, Wonnell arrested Clark for attempted murder and driving while under the influence. Wonnell also noticed the Bronco's license plate was bent in a way that concealed its digits.

Clark's pre-trial conference is scheduled for June 25.