Attack on Fresno prosecutor in Courthouse Park was targeted, law officials say

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• A Fresno prosecutor left the hospital Friday after a stabbing in Courthouse Park.
• Dustin Crawford faces attempted murder charges and remains jailed on $1 million bond.
• Officials said video showed Crawford target the victim, ruling out a random attack.

A Fresno County senior deputy district attorney who was stabbed in the back Thursday in Courthouse Park was released from the hospital Friday. His alleged attacker remains in jail on a $1 million bond.

Dustin Crawford, 42, of Fresno, faces charges of attempted murder and attempted murder of a public official.

At a news conference Friday, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni and District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said the prosecutor was expected to make a full recovery.

Smittcamp and Zanoni would not reveal the name of the prosecutor, citing the right of crime victims in California to maintain their privacy.

They said they also are convinced this was not a random act.

Zanoni said a surveillance camera in Courthouse Park captured the moment the attacker walked straight up to the victim and stabbed him several times in the back.

There were several people standing near the victim, Zanoni said, but Crawford appeared to single out the victim.

Smittcamp added that from what she has been told and from the video she saw, it was clear Crawford was going after the victim.

“This is not a random act of violence by a mentally ill man,” she said. “This was targeted.”

Smittcamp said it’s possible Crawford recognized the victim as the person who prosecuted him in 2016 for attacking someone with a knife, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer.

Before his trial, Crawford was sent to Atascadero State Hospital after his public defender questioned whether he was mentally competent to stand trial. Through therapy and medication, Crawford regained his mental competency and the case against him resumed.

Crawford agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Ashley Paulson, a Fresno County Superior Court judge candidate and former deputy district attorney, said in a social media post that the victim was with her and members of her campaign as they filmed a campaign commercial in the park.

The victim was a participant in the commercial but was off camera at the time of the attack.

Paulson, who is Fresno’s chief assistant city attorney, declined to comment Friday, but on her Instagram post she offered words of support for the victim. “This prosecutor is more than just a servant of the court and Fresno County. He is a longtime colleague and friend of mine.” she wrote.

The suspect will be prosecuted by the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office to avoid a conflict of interest in prosecution, Smittcamp said.

Court records show Crawford has a violent history. He was charged in 2016 with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting a police officer and battery on a police officer.

In May, his 70-year-old mother sought a restraining order against him, alleging he was violent, angry and mentally ill.

“This incident has shaken many people,” Zanoni said. “The fact that a deputy district attorney, as a member of law enforcement, was violently attacked for doing his job and sent to the hospital is a stark reminder of the dangers that all of us face in law enforcement.”

Zanoni said he and others are working on a county ordinance that makes it possible for county employees to carry a concealed weapon.

“I’ve been in contact with individuals at the city of Fresno and at the County of Fresno, and we’re looking at permitting our city attorneys, our public defenders, our district attorneys, and other individuals to carry concealed weapons within county facilities,” he said.

Fresno Bee reporter David Taub contributed to this report.