Police say 20-year-old Robert Moran fired at a Hemet police officer, striking him in the knee. Photo provided by the Hemet Police Department.Twenty-year-old Robert Moran was taken into custody and charged with the attempted murder of a peace officer and carrying a loaded firearm.
On Monday at about 4 a.m., Hemet Police officers responded to the 3400 block of West Florida Avenue following a report of someone shooting a gun in the area. While one officer was speaking to the reporting party in a parking lot near a fast-food restaurant, the suspect fired from his vehicle, striking the officer in the knee. The officer did not return fire, authorities said.
The vehicle continued through the parking lot and exited onto Florida Avenue as other officers converged on it. Moran was taken into custody without incident near the parking lot where the shooting occurred. Authorities say a handgun was located on the front passenger seat of Moran’s vehicle.
The officer, who has not yet been identified, was transported to a Riverside County hospital. The officer is alert and in good spirits, according to the Hemet Police Department. The officer has been with the department for nine months and is assigned to patrol.
