Man Charged with Assaulting an Oxnard Officer

An Oxnard man is in custody, accused of assaulting a police officer.

Police were conducting a patrol Thursday morning in the East Village neighborhood when they said they saw two bicyclists commit a traffic violation. According to officers when they pulled up alongside 25-year-old Frank Valentine and a woman he was with, the woman stopped and complied, but Valentine sped away. When officers tried to block him with their vehicle they say he slammed his bike into one of their doors and took off on foot.

Valentine then apparently raced on foot toward the 900 block of Lucero Street. A second officer tried to detain him and was allegedly pushed violently by the suspect. Police officers then say he ran into a backyard in the 1100 block of Lucero Street and disappeared. A perimeter was established around the home, and records checks showed Valentine was familiar with the home, and that he had a felony arrest warrant.

Numerous officers arrived, including members of the Oxnard Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit and Police K-9 Unit because Valentine had a prior arrest for a firearms violation. Residents inside the home voluntarily came out, and told police that Valentine was hiding in the second floor bedroom.

Officials said numerous attempts were made to have the suspect come out on his own, but he refused. Eventually members of the SEU team went in and Valentine surrendered.

Valentine is a PROS offender and was on supervised release after being convicted of an illegal firearm possession. He has been booked in the Ventura County Jail for the arrest warrant and the new felony charge of assaulting a police officer, felony possession of a dirk or dagger, misdemeanor vandalism and felony resisting arrest.

One police officer was injured, but is expected to recover fully.