The Navy man accused of aiming a military-style rifle at officers in a Gaslamp apartment building Sunday morning faces a maximum of three years in jail if convicted in the case.
Esteban Nandin, 24, was shot in the chest and arm after a standoff with San Diego police. On Wednesday, he was arraigned from his hospital bed. He pleaded not guilty to one count of exhibiting a firearm to a police officer.
Police were called by a witness who saw a man wearing a tactical vest and carrying an assault weapon. When officers located Nandin in the stairwell, he aimed a rifle at them. One of the officers responded by shooting Nandin at least twice, officials said.
Nandin was taken into custody nearly an hour later, when he staggered out of the stairwell through a side door covered in blood.
He was transported to UCSD Medical Center in critical condition, authorities said. Left behind in the stairwell were a loaded military-style assault rifle, gas mask, handgun and tactical vest, according to a statement from police.
On Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Robert Eacret said Nandin was "lucid enough to be arraigned," but he could not release any additional details on his condition.
Nandin was a 2nd Class Petty Officer with the U.S. Navy and was deployed to Iraq from June 2008 until May 2009. His last deployment was on the USS Gary in 2011, according to Lieutenant Commander Donnell Evans with the U.S. Navy.
Evans added that Nandin was working as an electronics technician with the Explosives Ordinance Disposal Unit as of March 2012. Nandin's file shows no history of PTSD.
Nandin has been registered at address for several months and has lived there for past two weeks, according to investigators.
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The U.S. Navy is cooperating with the investigation. His bail is set at $100,000.
