Man attacks officer, gets five months

EPHRATA - A man accused of charging at a state Department of Fish and Wildlife officer with a knife was sentenced to five months in jail.

Nicolas Garcia Godinez, 60, Othello, pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree in Grant County Superior Court.

The charge wasn't changed as part of the plea, according to court records.

Grant County Superior Court Judge John Knodell sentenced Garcia Godinez to five months in jail.

The sentencing range for the crime was three to nine months in jail.

Garcia Godinez and his son, Jose J. Garcia-Meraz, were fishing at Crab Creek, when Officer Chad McGary found Garcia-Meraz didn't have a fishing license on him. McGary was escorting the 18-year-old Mattawa man to his vehicle, when he heard something metal in Garcia-Meraz's back pocket, according to a police report.

After the officer asked about the item, McGary reportedly heard a gun being racked and Garcia-Meraz turned around, aiming the gun at the officer, according to a police report. Garcia-Meraz reportedly commanded McGary to throw his gun away. The officer initially refused, complying after Garcia-Meraz pushed him, holding the gun a foot from his face.

After McGary threw his gun over a fence, Garcia-Godinez ran up a trail, pointing a knife at the officer, according to a police report. While the father and son started talking and the officer ran up the hill. Garcia-Meraz reportedly chased the officer before asking his father for the keys to their Honda Civic and fleeing the scene in the car.

Garcia-Meraz reportedly fled on state Route 243 and was followed by another fish and wildlife officer. When they turned onto Beverly Burke Road, Garcia-Meraz allegedly fired two to three shots at the police car, striking it, according to court records.

The chase ended on Interstate 90, when the car broke down at Naylor Junction. He was arrested by Quincy police and assisting law enforcement.

Garcia-Meraz reportedly admitted to pointing the gun at the officer, saying he was scared, according to a police report. He reportedly told police he didn't intend to shoot and denied shooting at the pursuing police car. He still faces charges of attempted murder in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment, alien in possession of a firearm and attempting to elude police.