Penn Queried About Fight

Sagon Penn, who was acquitted of charges in connection with the 1985 slaying of one San Diego police officer and the wounding of another policeman and a civilian observer, is being investigated by National City police on possible assault charges, National City police said Sunday.

According to police, Penn and a 16-year-old boy were involved in an altercation at a National City market about 9:15 p.m. Saturday that stemmed from the youth’s belief that the store’s owner had insulted his mother.

Penn allegedly took a stick away from the market owner and then used it to strike two persons, according to National City Police Lt. Craig Short.

The market owner, 45-year-old Taisar Farha, and his son, Hamsad, 13, both received minor injuries, police said.

Following his arrest shortly after the incident, the juvenile told police that Penn had been involved in the fight, police said.

“According to the juvenile, (Penn) was there to back the juvenile up during the confrontation,” Short said.

Based on information given to them by the juvenile, National City police contacted the San Diego Police Department, which in turn contacted Penn’s family to ask them to take him to National City for questioning. Penn and his grandfather went to the National City police headquarters early Sunday morning.

Police stressed that Penn was not arrested and said late Sunday that it will be up to the San Diego County district attorney’s office to determine whether charges will be filed in the case.

In two controversial trials, Penn was found innocent of charges in connection with the March, 1985, shooting death of police officer Thomas Riggs and the wounding of police agent Donovan Jacobs and civilian observer Sarah Pina-Ruiz. The shootings occurred after Penn’s truck had been stopped by police for an alleged traffic violation. According to the defense, the routine stop led to deadly gunfire when Jacobs beat Penn with his night stick and fists and used racial slurs, prompting Penn to shoot in self-defense.