SEQUIM — A Sequim man accused of driving into a building with a van and assaulting two deputies before he was subdued with a stun gun will face a March 3 trial.
Daniel G. Gockerell, 54, pleaded not guilty Friday in Clallam County Superior Court to two counts of third-degree assault and one count each of attempting to disarm a police officer, hit-and-run with property damage and fourth-degree assault-domestic violence.
Gockerell remained in the county jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.
Police said that at about 6:40 a.m. Jan. 7, a silver minivan ran into the front wall and door of Thomas Building Center at 301 W. Washington St., where the manager said the driver caused between $10,00 and $12,000 in damage.
Gockerell was arrested soon after at his Belfield Avenue home, about a mile away, after driving through a neighbor’s fence, punching Deputy Brandon Stoppani in the head and being subdued with a stun gun during a struggle in a shed about 20 feet away from the house, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies later found one rifle in the shed and five more in the home’s garage.
At the Sequim Police Department, Gockerell allegedly struggled with Deputy Matt Murphy for his pistol.
Murphy’s hand was cut and required three stitches, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Gockerell also had reportedly punched a woman in the head at his home just as law enforcement arrived, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The unidentified woman was taken to Olympic Medical Center for treatment.
Gockerell is set to appear in Superior Court on Feb. 14 for a case status hearing.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
