The alleged shooting victim in the attempted murder case against former UFC champion Cain Velasquez has spoken out for the first time.
Paul Bender said Monday that he fears of his life, as well as the lives of his family, after allegedly being shot by Velasquez. Bender, 64, said he’s lost function in three fingers because of damage to his brachial artery as a result of sustaining a gunshot wound to his arm.
Bender was the driver of a Chevy Silverado that police say Velasquez rammed with his Ford F250 and shot at during a high-speed chase on Feb. 28 in San Jose, Calif. Velasquez’s intended target was Harry Goularte, who is accused of molesting Velasquez’s 4-year-old son (identified by Velasquez attorney Mark Geragos in court Monday). Goularte and his mother were passengers in the Silverado.
Bender’s comments were part of a hearing in which Judge Shelyna Brown denied Velasquez bail. Prior to Brown’s ruling, Bender appeared virtually on Microsoft Teams to give his statement.
“Good morning, your honor. My name is Paul Bender. I am the person who was driving the truck and the person shot by Cain Velasquez (on) February 28th, 2022,” Bender said. “We were simply following a court order to get a GPS monitoring device for Harry when Cain Velasquez started following us. He shot at us and chased us at speeds over a hundred miles an hour. When we came to a stop near a school, Cain Velasquez shot at us again, severing my brachial artery and nerve. I have lost the use of three fingers and can no longer work because I could not pass my (Department of Transportation) physical. Without the use of my right hand, we do not know if this loss is permanent.
“Cain Velasquez has no respect for human life. He could’ve easily shot the family in the car next to us, innocent pedestrians, or even young children. Cain Velasquez does not care who sees him do this. He does not care about the rule of law and has no respect for our judicial system. If given the opportunity, I believe he will try to finish what he started. I am fearful for my life, as well as for the lives of my family. No amount of bail or GPS monitor will stop Cain Velasquez. Respectfully, your honor, I ask that you please help keep my family safe and our community safe from Cain Velasquez and deny his request for bail.”
It was the second time that Brown denied bail in the Velasquez case after she didn’t set an amount during his arraignment March 2, two days after he was arrested.
Velasquez, 39, faces charges of attempted murder (one count), shooting at a motor vehicle or aircraft (one count), assault with a firearm (three counts), assault with a deadly weapon (three counts), willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle (one count), and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony (one count).
If found guilty of attempted murder, Velasquez faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. He faces additional time if found guilty of other counts.