Choy exercised  a complete disregard for human life when he fired two gunshots at Detective Clutter,  and referenced how when the shooting occurred, Choy was out on bail for a March 2022 gun-possession arrest and charge. He also criticized the seeming casualness of Choy's decision to shoot Clutter, saying he was struck by  the banality of the evil. 

 Every police officer who walks up to a car at a traffic stop does so with a degree of uncertainty that most people will never experience,  Buckelew said.  What happened here was not simply a crime against one police officer. It was an attack on the basic principle that allows a civilized society to function. 

The judge later said,  Mr. Choy, a three striker, fired twice at a police officer during a traffic stop at point blank range with the intent to kill him,  adding that the fact Clutter survived does not diminish the gravity of his crime.

Choy was banned from having firearms because he was convicted of felony residential burglary in 2008 and felony attempted robbery in 2015, both in Alameda County. In the attempted robbery case, Choy was accused of demanding money from a woman holding her 7-month-old child and then punching her when she refused. He was released from prison for the latter conviction in 2020.

The attempted murder conviction was accompanied by two charging enhancements because the shooting targeted a police officer and used a gun. Choy was also found guilty of two sets of gun charges - three felony counts each - related to his possession of the gun he used to shoot the officer, and a gun possession case from four months prior, and violating his firearms prohibitions as a felon.

Clutter was working a DUI enforcement shift less than an hour after midnight when he saw a man driving a gold Ford Explorer run a stop sign near Villa and Hope streets, then speed through a four-way intersection.

Investigators say that after the Ford driver - since identified as Choy - stopped near Wild Cherry Lane, the officer walked up to the driver side of the vehicle, which had the windows rolled down. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, he heard the sound of someone racking the slide of a handgun.

Moments later, Clutter saw Choy point a black semi-automatic handgun out of his window, and two shots rang out. Body-camera footage shows the exact moment when Choy pointed his gun and opened fire.

One bullet hit Clutter in his left forearm then in the left shoulder, but was stopped by his bulletproof vest, all as he turned and dove for safety. He was treated and released from the hospital on the same day.

Choy drove away but after less than a mile crashed vehicle near Higdon Avenue and running away. Authorities say he hid for several hours in a laundry room before leaving the area.

About 24 hours later, an Alameda County Sheriff's Office surveillance plane tracked Choy to a Black Bear Diner in Fremont, and U.S. Marshals and Mountain View police detectives arrested him after a brief foot chase.