Retired Hercules cop accused of trying to kill wife

Photo: Antioch Police Retired Hercules police Officer John Goodner

A retired Hercules police officer was arrested and charged with attempted murder for allegedly firing shots at the Antioch home of his estranged wife, less than two weeks after he threatened to kill her, authorities said.

John Goodner, 47, is being held at Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez in lieu of nearly $1.8 million bail. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, shooting into an occupied dwelling, making criminal threats and stalking, all felonies.

“Mr. Goodner is very concerned about these allegations, and he is looking forward to his day in court,” said his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Welch.

About 2 a.m. on Jan. 28, Antioch police officers heard gunfire near West 18th and A streets. While trying to determine the source of the gunfire, a woman called 911, saying she was sleeping when someone shot into her house through the front bedroom wall, police said.

The woman wasn’t hurt and told police that she believed that Goodner was responsible, police said.

“And just be advised, he’s usually 10-51,” an Antioch officer said on the radio, using the police code for drunk. “And, uh, he’s ex-officer.”

Officers went to Goodner’s home on the 800 block of Putnam Street in Antioch. He did not immediately surrender, and officers were warned that he owned several hunting rifles, shotguns and ballistic vests, plus a scanner that he could use to monitor the police response, authorities said.

The former K-9 officer repeatedly asked for Antioch police to secure their own police dog and refused to come out, officials said. After he exited to the front yard, he still would not comply and had to be taken into custody with the help of the dog, authorities said.

Police determined that over the past year, Goodner had been stalking his wife with the help of a tracking device he had placed on her car.

The device was discovered by the wife’s brother, who also sought a restraining order because she was staying with his family, and they wanted protection from him, authorities said.

On Jan. 17, Goodner threatened to kill his wife, prompting her to get a restraining order five days later, said Deputy District Attorney Scott Cunnane. The shooting happened five days after that, when Goodner opened fire while driving past her home in his Dodge truck, authorities said.

“The escalation is very concerning,” Cunnane said.

Goodner served with the Hercules Police Department for about 12 years before he took a medical retirement in 2009.

Henry K. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: hlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @henryklee