Juan Ruiz appears for arraignment
Accused of shooting at police officers
By Bobbi Mlynar
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Juan Ruiz, accused of shooting at two Emporia police officers in December, was arraigned on charges Wednesday afternoon in Lyon County District Court.
Police were responding to a loud-music complaint on Dec. 7, 2006, when the incident began around 2:30 p.m. near Clark Street and Goura Place. Ruiz' pickup matched the description of a vehicle involved in the noise call.
Jones chased the vehicle and the suspect, later identified as Juan Ramon Ruiz, drove his car into a church parking lot in the 700 block of Corinth Street. Ruiz stopped the pickup truck he was driving, pointed a weapon at the officer, and opened fire.
He is alleged to have fled in the truck to Peyton Street, where Officer Mark Lake joined Jones in the chase. Ruiz then allegedly stopped and fired shots at Lake before fleeing again.
He was captured by Sheriff Gary Eichorn and Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Elwood Phelps after he abandoned his truck and ran into Sertoma Park.
Ruiz was unarmed when he was taken into custody. Two guns were found about 100 feet from the truck, according to an earlier report.
District Court Judge Merlin Wheeler set June 25 for Ruiz' jury trial. Wheeler will hear motions in the case at 9 a.m. on May 24th. He told County Attorney Marc Goodman and defense attorney Jason King that they would need to file their motions by March 30.
King had requested access to all VHS, CD, or DVD recordings the prosecution has. Goodman said that King could come to his office to view anything he has not already been provided, or can go to the Emporia Police Department to view those materials.
Ruiz remains in the Lyon County Jail.