Linda Avenue Shooting Suspect's Pre-Trial Delayed

A Linda Avenue resident and former optometry teacher charged with the in Newark appeared in court July 13 only to have his pretrial hearing delayed yet again.

Court records show that Dennis Bagwell, 61, will appear in court again at 9 a.m. on Aug. 17 at the Fremont Hall of Justice.

At the time of the incident, Bagwell lived on Linda Avenue, on the Oakland side just a few yards from the Piedmont-Oakland border. He managed the apartment building where he lived; law enforcement officers in February 2012, shortly after the murder attempt.

Bagwell faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a firearm in connection to a Feb. 7 shooting that critically injured U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer Robert Smith, whose last name has also been identified as Suplik in several media reports.

Bagwell to those charges on March 9.

Authorities have not released information about possible motives but in Newark police reported that Bagwell had been in contact with Smith’s wife, Iryna Smith, who had been a student at where Bagwell taught.

Bagwell was arrested without incident in Union City the same day of the shooting.

Police said multiple gunshots were heard on the 7700 block of Mayhews Landing Road at about 5:50 a.m. Feb. 7 and that the victim was lying on a fence suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his chest.

About one month later, Smith was fully recovered and took part in a ceremony that honored three police officers who played a role in saving his life.