Pasco man shot by police appears in court in wheelchair

A Pasco man made his first court appearance Tuesday on allegations he exchanged gunfire with police because he didn’t want to spend more time behind bars.

Edwin Espejo, 31, was wheeled into the courtroom in a wheelchair pushed by a corrections officer.

He is being held at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla so he can be treated in the prison’s secure medical facility. However, he was transferred to the Franklin County jail earlier Tuesday morning for the Superior Court hearing.

Espejo is locked up on $2.5 million bail. He has hired attorney Gary Metro of Richland.

Espejo pleaded innocent to three counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of second-degree unlawful gun possession, fourth-degree assault with domestic violence and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.

His trial is scheduled Nov. 29.

Pasco police responded late Sept. 16 to a South Ninth Avenue home for a domestic violence incident.

Police reported finding an agitated Espejo in the basement with three of his six children. He expressed his love to his kids and said goodbye, then told them to leave.

One officer repeatedly ordered Espejo to drop his gun, while a second officer tried to subdue him with a Taser, but the probes didn’t make a connection, court documents said.

Espejo then started shooting at the six officers in the basement, documents said. He emptied his pistol of all seven rounds.

Officers John D’Aquila and Matt Griffin and Reserve Officer David Dillsworth returned fire with a total 21 shots.

It is not clear how many times Espejo was hit. He spent 1 1/2 weeks in Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

No officers were wounded. They are on administrative leave until a report is completed by the Tri-City Special Investigations Unit.

Maria Ordaz, Espejo’s wife, talked to a Richland detective at the hospital shortly after the shooting and said her husband had been drinking all day and was arguing with her about the TV.

On Tuesday, a half-dozen family members and friends were in court for Espejo, including his mother and Ordaz.

He has been ordered to have no contact with any victims or witnesses in the case.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Pasco man shot by police appears in court in wheelchair."