Shooting Suspect To Enter Plea in March

A Piedmont man who taught at a Union City optician school has been prohibited from practicing optometry, pending court proceedings connected to charges he faces as a result of a Newark shooting that injured an off-duty federal officer.

Dennis Bagwell, 61, of Piedmont was scheduled to enter a plea Wednesday morning, but Public Defender Barbara Thomas waived his appearance and requested that Bagwell’s plea hearing be delayed to March 9.

Bagwell is of premeditated attempted murder and assault with a firearm.

Judge Philip Sarkisian granted Thomas' request to delay Bagwell's plea entry. Thomas said she preferred the plea be entered when Deputy District Attorney Mark Melton returns.

Deputy District Attorney Lance Kubo appeared in court to represent the District Attorney’s Office Wednesday morning, along with state Deputy Attorney General Esther La.

La made the request to ban Bagwell from practicing as an optician.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bagwell had once operated Redwood City Optical. He most recently taught at the Bay Area Optical Schools in Union City and was a property manager of an apartment complex at the Piedmont-Oakland border.

Bagwell was arrested Feb. 7 after police responded to the 7700 block of Mayhews Landing Road Newark around 5:50 a.m. to find Robert Suplik, a U.S. Customs and Border protection agent, in front of his home suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Authorities said they believe there was a confrontation between Bagwell and Suplik and confirmed that Bagwell had taught Suplik’s wife, Iryna Smith, when she attended Bay Area Optical Schools.

Bagwell is expected to appear in court again at 9 a.m. on March 9 at the Fremont Hall of Justice, Dept. 605 to enter a plea. He is being held at Santa Rita Jail on no bail.