The suspect in a hit-and-run in Aberdeen who was later shot by an Aberdeen Police officer after reportedly wielding a knife during a confrontation with officers, made his first appearance Oct. 30 in Superior Court in Montesano.

Gary Peterson, who told the court he was a transient living in East County, wore red prison garb and was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair by two deputies. He was released from Grays Harbor Community Hospital earlier in the day after having been treated for the gunshot wound. His right arm was bandaged, and throughout the hearing, he did not stand.

Peterson, 51, faces charges of second-degree assault and hit-and-run of an attended vehicle.

Grays Harbor Prosecutor Katie Svoboda requested that bail be set at $250,000 given the seriousness of the crimes and, what Svoboda called, Peterson’s “tenuous at best connections to the county.” She also cited the assault allegation connected to the confrontation with the officer and that he had previous convictions.

Peterson also has a non-extraditable felony warrant from Oregon for parole violations on charges of third-degree assault and third-degree robbery.

Judge David Mistachkin set bail at $500,000.

Peterson next will be in court Monday afternoon for an arraignment hearing.

The charges stem from a hit-and-run near the Bank of the Pacific on East Market Street shortly before noon last Thursday, Oct. 24. A responding officer made contact with the suspect in the 500 block of East First Street, and witnesses described hearing the officer demanding the suspect “drop the knife,” Grays Harbor Undersheriff Brad Johansson said. The suspect continued to approach the officer and was shot, and a knife was recovered near the suspect, Johansson said. The officer, who has not been identified, was not injured, nor were the occupants of the other car in the original hit-and-run incident.

Peterson underwent multiple surgeries at Grays Harbor Community Hospital following the shooting.

This is the second officer-involved shooting in Aberdeen in less than two months. Kristopher D. Fitzpatrick, 41, of Aberdeen, was shot and killed by an Aberdeen officer Sept. 9 after Fitzpatrick reportedly refused to drop a handgun he was carrying as officers approached to serve a felony warrant.

As with the Sept. 9 shooting, Aberdeen Police requested assistance from the Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team to investigate the Oct. 24 shooting. The team is composed of detectives from Mason, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Lewis and Pacific counties.