Case against suspect in Sacramento County deputy's death to go to trial
The case against a man accused of shooting and killing a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy will go to trial, a judge ruled.
Anton Lemon Paris, 38, was in court Friday for a preliminary hearing, which is when prosecutors try to convince the judge that there is enough evidence to take the case to trial.
Paris is charged with the murder of Mark Stasyuk, the sheriff’s deputy who was shot and killed in September 2018 while responding to a call at a Pep Boys in Rancho Cordova.
Another deputy and a Pep Boys employee were injured in the shooting.
During the hearing Friday, prosecutors presented surveillance video from the auto repair shop and testimony from investigators. Deputy Devin Folk spoke about his interview with the employee who was shot.
"(The Pep Boys employee) said the subject was walking around, was saying something to the effect of, ‘I’m going to shoot everyone in the store if you keep messing with my mind,'” Folk said during his testimony. “As (the employee) turned to face away from that subject, he said that the officer said, ‘Hey, come here.’ (The employee) then heard what he described as the track pants of the subject moving very quickly. And when he turned around to see that male subject, he saw that (the subject) had a handgun. … When he saw the handgun in the subject’s hand, he turned and ducked. … (The employee) heard one gunshot and then he felt pain in his upper, middle left portion of his back. He described the sensation as being punched really hard.”
At the end of the hearing, the judge ruled prosecutors had enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
Paris will be back in court Dec. 13 for his formal arraignment.