California Highway Patrol Officer Antonio Pacheco testified Friday morning about being shot on the highway after he struggled with a driver in late April 2022.
Officer Pacheco told the court how he didn't think he was going to make it that day.
“I was so convinced I was going to die," Pacheco said.
Pacheco said he approached a black Audi parked in the median of Interstate 8 in Mission Valley and found Yuhao Du, 25, behind the wheel with bruising to his forehead and blood trickling down his face.
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"He said, 'Can you kill me?' My response was, 'No, man. Standby,'" said Pacheco.
The judge asked NBC 7 not to show Pacheco's face during his testimony, where the seven-year veteran of the force shared the frightening moment when he felt a bullet pierce through his thigh and tear through muscle tissue, barely missing his femur and artery.
"I hear a loud pop, I felt this extreme pain go down my leg and some numbness and tingling and warm liquid run down my leg," he said. "It was my blood."
California
Du's attorney shared how the UC San Diego physics graduate student was dealing with severe mental problems just prior to the incident. Previously, Du pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity during his initial arraignment hearing.
'[Du's] presumed to be competent, he's presumed to be sane until or unless the contrary is proven and so right now we're just tracking along with that," said Deputy District Attorney Clay Biddle.
The officer also shared how following the shooting he was in and out of the hospital and said he is still experiencing pain and numbness where he suffered his gunshot wound.
Du is expected back in court Dec. 6 for another arraignment.
