Ex Fresno councilman testifies man who assaulted him claimed to be ‘omnipotent’ deity
The trial of former Fresno police officer Raymond Eddy began Wednesday with allegations of fraud, assault and the belief in deities.
Eddy, 53, is charged with assault with a firearm, brandishing a firearm and battery after getting into a dispute with former Fresno City Councilman Oliver Baines, who is also a former Fresno police officer.
Baines has accused Eddy, a longtime friend, his former chief of staff and business associate, of having a mental health episode prior to shoving the muzzle of a Beretta pistol into his neck and threatening him.
Prosecutor Leonel Salazar showed the jury photos of Baines’s face with abrasions and cuts on his neck. The photos were taken by Fresno police after the incident at Eddy’s northwest Fresno apartment complex on April 21, 2021.
Baines testified that he went to Eddy’s apartment that day because he was concerned about his mental health. Baines testified that Eddy had previously told him he believed he was a deity on more than one occasion.
“He had a belief that he was omnipotent,” Baines said. “And he told me that prior to this incident.”
Baines also said that when he found Eddy in the northwest Fresno apartment complex, he immediately saw a gun in his hand.
“He grabbed me, pushed me against a vehicle and within a few seconds put the gun to my throat,” Baines testified. “I put my hands up and told him, ‘hey, what’s going on?’”
During the confrontation Baines testified that Eddy was making unintelligible statements about a senator or someone taking money from him.
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Marco Aguiar, Baines was shown a video of the confrontation, taken by one of the residents in the apartment complex. The video shows Eddy confronting Baines and shouting in a loud voice about being lied to by Baines and wanting him out of his life.
Aguiar asked Baines if he remembered hearing those things and Baines replied that he did not.
Aguiar pointed out that he couldn’t hear his client say anything about being a god or anything that didn’t make sense. Baines said Eddy said those things quietly to him.
“So Mr. Eddy would scream at the top of his lungs and then lower his voice so only you could hear,” Aguiar asked?
Baines replied, yes.
Fresno police officer CaroKasandra Moreno was the first officer on the scene and interviewed Eddy after he was detained.
Moreno’s body worn camera captured the interview and it was shown to the jury.
Aguiar asked her if Eddy ever said anything to her about being a god or did she believe he might be mentally ill. She said no.
In the video, Eddy admits to the officer that he struck Baines several times in the face and he did have his gun with him. But he does not remember if he pointed it at Baines.
Eddy also said he was angry with Baines over having lost thousands of dollars in a business deal, and he did not want to talk with Baines.
Eddy told Moreno in the video that he felt betrayed by Baines.
“I just got off a phone call from Virginia and they confirmed to me that everything I’ve been spoon fed for a year has been a lie,” Eddy said in the video.
The trial continues Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Judge Timothy Kams courtroom.
