By Bay City News Service
Oakland, Calif. — A prosecutor told jurors Monday that reputed Union City gang member knew exactly what he was doing when he allegedly fired 10 shots from a 9mm semiautomatic handgun at Fremont police Officer Todd Young last year and nearly killed him.
In a day-long closing argument in Barrientos' trial for the attempted murder of a police officer and nine other felony counts, prosecutor John Brouhard said Barrientos knew there were two felony arrest warrants for him when Young and fellow officer Eric Tang attempted to arrest him at 2009 Auseon Ave., near Bancroft Avenue, in East Oakland at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, 2010.
Brouhard said the two officers, who were part of the Southern Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force, weren't wearing police uniforms but they had badges and yelled "Police!" when they tried to arrest Barrientos.
Brouhard said Barrientos, a 21-year-old Union City man, also called his mother nine minutes after Young was shot to tell her he had messed up and told her "I shot a police officer."
Barrientos' attorney, Barbara Thomas, .
Brouhard said Monday, "This case is indefensible" because he believes the evidence clearly shows that Barrientos knew that the police were looking for him and that Young and Tang were police officers.
He said Barrientos was a member of the Decoto Nortenos gang and wanted to kill Young because he would earn respect as a cop-killer and rise "to the top of the all-star team of gang violence."
The prosecutor said Barrientos had told his ex-girlfriend a few months before the shooting that if police tried to arrest him "I'm ready for whatever" and would go "for all head shots" because he was armed with two pistols and had a vest.
The warrants for Barrientos were for recklessly avoiding police and allegedly speeding away from Union City police on April 7, 2010, and for allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend with a gun in San Leandro on Aug. 13, 2010.
Brouhard said Barrientos pointed a pistol at his ex-girlfriend, who is the mother of their baby boy, and said, "I'm going to kill you" when they had an argument after he reneged on his promise to her that he would turn himself in to police for the April 2010 incident.
Young was shot twice in the pelvis and nearly lost his life after he lost large amounts of blood. He spent more than seven weeks at Highland Hospital in Oakland, where he received blood transfusions and underwent numerous surgeries to address serious bladder problems.
Brouhard said Young still has nerve damage in his leg but wants to return to police work.
Young testified against Barrientos three weeks ago and attended closing arguments Monday wearing his Fremont police uniform. About 15 other Fremont officers also attended the arguments, along with about 10 members of Barrientos' family, including his mother.
Oakland police said that after Young was shot, Barrientos tried to carjack one vehicle before successfully stealing a second car.
Barrientos fled to Southern California but was arrested near the Mexican border the day after the shooting.
In addition to the attempted murder of a peace officer charge, Barrientos is accused of carjacking, attempted carjacking and two counts each of shooting at an occupied vehicle, carrying a concealed firearm and carrying a loaded firearm in a city.
He also faces numerous enhancement clauses that could increase his prison time, including allegations that he was acting to benefit a gang and was involved in street terrorism.
In addition, he's charged with assault with a firearm and making terrorist threats for allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend.
The word "Decoto" is tattooed on Barrientos' right arm and was visible throughout his preliminary hearing last year, when he was dressed in a sleeveless jail uniform.
Barrientos is dressed in a suit for his trial and his tattoo is covered.
Thomas will give her closing argument on Barrientos' behalf on Tuesday morning. Brouhard will give his rebuttal argument later in the day and then jurors will begin deliberating Barrientos' fate.
