Accused Cop Shooter Enters Plea

A suspected gang member pleaded not guilty Thursday to attempted murder and 12 other felony charges stemming from an incident last month in which he allegedly shot a Fremont police officer in Oakland.

Andrew Barrientos, a 20-year-old Union City man, is scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court on Oct. 13 for a hearing to determine if he is ready to have his preliminary examination begin the following day, Oct. 14.

His attorney, Anne Beles, told Judge Robert McGuiness Thursday that she might ask for a continuance so she has more time to prepare for the preliminary examination, which will determine if there's enough evidence for  Barrientos and two co-defendants to stand trial.

Barrientos is accused of shooting Fremont police Officer Todd Young, 39, when he and fellow Officer Eric Tang attempted to arrest Barrientos at 2009 Auseon Ave., near Bancroft Avenue, in East Oakland at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 27.

The two officers were working in Oakland as part of the Southern Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force and had a warrant for Barrientos' arrest for an incident in April as well as for allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend with a gun in San Leandro on Aug. 13.

Barrientos waived his right to have a speedy preliminary examination within 10 court days, but one of the other suspects, 23-year-old Gustavo Silva of Union City, refused to waive time and asked that the  preliminary hearing for all three defendants begin on Oct. 14.

Beles appeared to be upset that Silva refused to waive time, telling McGuiness, "I need to be prepared to represent a young man on these serious charges, and there is an enormous amount of evidence."

She said, "I will make every effort to be prepared, but there are over 800 pages of discovery (documents) and voluminous statements by witnesses."

McGuiness said that if Beles asks for a continuance at the Oct. 13 hearing, he will consider it only "reluctantly."

Oakland police said that after Young was shot, Barrientos tried to carjack one vehicle before successfully stealing a second vehicle.