SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced on Friday to six years in state prison for assaulting an on-duty Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD) officer by knocking the officer to the ground and repeatedly hitting and kicking him.

Co-defendant Bryce Headrick, 25, Huntington Beach, pleaded guilty on March 17, 2016, to one felony count of aggravated assault on a peace officer, one misdemeanor count of resisting and obstructing another officer, and a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury. He was sentenced to seven years in state prison.

Circumstances of the Case

• At approximately 11:20 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2016, Bryce Headrick was riding a bicycle near Beach Boulevard and Clay Avenue in Huntington Beach.
• A HBPD officer conducted a stop on Bryce Headrick for a traffic violation.
• As the officer was talking to Bryce Headrick, his father, Darryl Headrick, approached the officer from behind and assaulted the officer.
• The defendants punched the officer, knocked him to the ground, and continued to punch and kick him in the head and body until the officer lost consciousness.
• Both defendants fled the scene on their bicycles.
• HBPD officers, who investigated this case, located Darryl Headrick near the crime scene and arrested him.
• Bryce Headrick was located and arrested several hours later near his home.
• The officer was transported to University of California, Irvine Medical Center and treated for non-life threatening injuries, including a concussion.

At the sentencing on Friday, as well as at Bryce Headrick's sentencing in 2016, the victim delivered an impact statement pursuant to Marsy's Law. The officer talked about the tremendous impact the crime has had on him as an officer and on his family. He went on to describe how hard it has been for his daughter, who was doing a ride-along with him that evening and witnessed the attack.

Prosecutor: Deputy District Attorney Michael Pevney, Special Prosecutions Unit

*Defendant's son sentenced to seven years in prison in 2016

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 16WF0313/ November 20, 2017