Trial begins for Yuma man accused of assaulting two officers

The trial of the man accused of attacking two police officers and stealing one of their guns began Tuesday.

Jury selection ended Tuesday morning in the trial of 41-year-old Ralph Sivyer .

The case stems from an incident that happened in June 2018. The Yuma Police Department said officers approached Sivyer in front of a residence when Sivyer allegedly assaulted both policemen, taking one of their handguns.

The State of Arizona said this is a case of ” you can run but you can’t hide. ” Sivyer’s lawyer said the police reports don’t add up and that the case is ” all about a missing gun ” .

The State of Arizona detailed the night three officers from the Yuma Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team were patrolling and noticed Sivyer’s car.

The State summarized how the three officers circled around the area again to check out the vehicle when they said they stopped at a nearby stop sign, signaled their lights, and told Sivyer to stop.

That’s when the State detailed a brawl breaking out between two of the officers and Sivyer .

They claimed Sivyer was allegedly able to get away with one of the officer’s guns.

That gun is still nowhere to be found.

Sivyer’s lawyer said the story doesn’t completely match the evidence, which is security footage from a nearby resident and the times dispatched was notified of the incident.

While the first witness took the stand, the video evidence was played and showed the officers pulling up and Sivyer speeding away.

Sivyer was previously wanted in early 2018 for possession of a weapon by a prohibited person and prohibited weapon manufacturing.

The trial is expected to last through Friday.