SHOW LOW — Shawn Michael Chock, 35 of White Mountain Lakes, has been charged by the Navajo County Legal professional with 20 felony crimes arising from his alleged actions in the course of the thirteenth annual Bike the Bluff championship street race alongside the Deuce of Golf equipment Boulevard on June 19. Chock is presumed by regulation to be harmless.
On July 2, prosecutors filed a direct criticism in opposition to Chock within the Navajo County Superior Courtroom, previous press time for Tuesday’s version of this newspaper. A direct criticism is drafted by prosecutors primarily based on police stories and witness statements which set up possible trigger for prices. The opposite method felony prison instances start is by an indictment determined upon by a grand jury after being introduced with proof by the prosecutor. Navajo County makes use of a grand jury on severe felony instances and it’s possible that the direct criticism shall be “superceded” by a grand jury indictment within the close to future. On this case, a superior court docket decide would have reviewed the direct criticism and signed a warrant for Chock’s arrest which landed Chock within the Flagstaff jail.
For now, the criticism alleges ten counts of aggravated assault with a lethal weapon or harmful instrument. Arizona regulation considers a automobile to be a lethal weapon when used as alleged on this case. It’s curious that 9 of the ten aggravated assault prices are listed as Class 3 Felonies, however one is listed as a Class 2 felony which is extra severe. Chock can also be charged with 9 counts of leaving the scene of a collision involving severe harm, additionally Class 3 Felonies, and one depend of illegal flight from regulation enforcement, a Class 5 Felony.
Based on Arizona’s sentencing legal guidelines, if Chock is discovered responsible of the offenses thus-far charged, he faces a long time in jail in what might be in essence a life sentence for this 35 yr previous man.
The case began when a whole lot of cyclists, some from throughout the nation deliberate to take part in a race involving 11 classes, and included women and men of all ages. The race was scheduled to start out in Present Low and proceed by means of Linden, then to Taylor and again to Present Low for a complete of 58 miles. Final yr’s race was cancelled due to the pandemic.
However at roughly 7:25 that morning, Chock for causes nonetheless unknown, allegedly drove a Ford Tremendous Obligation decide up truck right into a crowd of 40 to 50 cyclists in entrance of the Horne Collision Heart. Witnesses reported that the driving force appeared to take action intentionally. Chock then reportedly crashed into an influence pole, fled the scene and ended up getting shot apparently by regulation enforcement officers by means of the driving force’s aspect window of the truck. The truck got here to relaxation at a useless finish of Oliver Road, alongside a fence behind the Native Grill Restaurant.
Present Low residents reported a brief electrical outage later in that day. Close to 1:30 p.m. that afternoon, Arizona Public Service acknowledged the outage and pledged to have energy restored by 4:39 p.m. Energy was again on a bit of after 3:00 p.m. based on a Present Low resident. It has not been confirmed that the outage was brought on by the collision of the truck with the pole.
In whole, seven individuals together with Chock had been hospitalized; six in Arizona and one in New Mexico. The Division of Public Security (DPS) is dealing with the investigation, and DPS Media Specialist Bart Graves informed the Unbiased that he believes that six of essentially the most significantly injured are nonetheless within the hospital as of Wednesday. Chock is within the Coconino County jail in Flagstaff. He went by means of consumption there after press time on Friday, July 2, based on Meg Miller of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Workplace.
It’s unknown why he’s not being housed within the Navajo County Jail. It might be that as a result of the Navajo County Sheriff’s Workplace is just not main the investigation (DPS is) or perhaps Chock’s gunshot wound or wounds require medical statement obtainable in Flagstaff, or perhaps Chock was positioned away from Present Low and Holbrook for his personal security. Regardless of the cause, he’s being held there on a $500,000 bond.
Concerning previous prison historical past, court docket information in Maricopa County Superior Courtroom acknowledged {that a} Shawn Michael Chock, the identical age because the suspect within the bike race incident, pleaded responsible to an aggravated (felony) DUI on November 10, 2010 in that court docket. It was alleged to have been his third DUI offense.
There isn’t any new court docket date for Chock posted but.
