Beaumont Man Pleads Guilty To Assault On Peace Officer

BEAUMONT, CA — A 54-year-old man who led law enforcement officers on a two-city pursuit that culminated in the defendant ramming two Riverside County sheriff's patrol units pleaded guilty Monday to assault on a peace officer and felony evading.

Ryan Kendall of Beaumont admitted the charges under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors agreed to drop two related counts.

Superior Court Judge Sean Crandell scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 3 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The terms proposed by the prosecution and defense under the plea deal are nine months in county jail and two years' felony probation.

Kendall is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to sheriff's officials, shortly after 3 p.m. on Feb. 21, deputies received reports of a motorist behaving strangely in the 3800 block of Pedley Avenue, near Sixth Street, in Norco and went to investigate.

After deputies reached the location, they attempted to make contact with the defendant, whom they initially believed might be under the influence of a controlled substance due to his erratic behavior, investigators said.

"Kendall fled the scene, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated," according to a sheriff's statement. "During the pursuit, tire deflation devices were successfully deployed, which caused all four tires to deflate."

The defendant fled south into Corona, where police officers there deployed an armored vehicle, which performed a "precision immobilization technique" to push Kendall's vehicle off the roadway, according to the sheriff's department.

"After Kendall's vehicle spun out, he intentionally accelerated toward two sheriff's vehicles and struck them," the agency stated. "After he rammed the sheriff's vehicles, Kendall's vehicle was immobilized."

He was taken into custody without further incident, suffering unspecified non-life-threatening injuries. He spent several weeks recovering in the sheriff's infirmary managed by the Riverside University Health System.

No deputies or Corona police officers were hurt.

Kendall has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.