Posted on 01/09/2015 11:08:04 AM PST by wtd
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A 33-year-old homeless man was arrested near Depot Park Wednesday after allegedly trying to gouge out the eye of a Santa Cruz police officer.
The attack, a Santa Cruz police spokesman said, is part of a larger trend locally and nationally in the past year toward increased physical confrontations between the public and police. Robert Craig. (Santa Cruz Police Department Image)
Police spotted Robert Craig standing in the Pacific Avenue and Center Street roundabout at about 1:40 p.m. and disturbing traffic, said Santa Cruz police Lt. Bernie Escalante. Craig allegedly tried to pull a driver off his motorcycle while an officer watched, Esclante said.
The officer approached Craig to move him out of the roundabout, but was unsuccessful in engaging him, Escalante said.
"The suspect attacked the officer in a 'bear hug' and then attempted to gouge the officer's eye out," Escalante said in a release.
The officer used his Taser gun on Craig after breaking free, Escalante said. The stun gun was ineffective on Craig, who ran away on Pacific Avenue when police backup arrived, he said. Craig was arrested several blocks away after being stunned again by a Taser used by responding officers. He was transported to Dominican Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, he said.
The officer was treated and released from Dominican Hospital for his eye injury. An eye specialist will determine the extent of the damage, Escalante said.
Craig previously was arrested in Santa Cruz, in November, on suspicion of methamphetamine possession. He also had a warrant out for his arrest for failure to appear in court.
Craig was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of felony battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, attempt mayhem, and threats on a police officer.
Escalante said police departments across the country have been put on heightened alert about their safety, in the wake of national confrontations between police and the public. In Santa Cruz, too, Escalante said officers have been more likely to come in contact with people who question authority in the past year and have seen a "definite trend" of more assaults and batteries on officer.
"People, they in general are just more confrontational or seem to be more likely to interact with police with a physical interaction than before," Escalante said. "I don't think it has to do with Santa Cruz individually. I think it's just kind of a trend we're seeing with (police) generally."
The buck stops at the usurper's feet.
“People, they in general are just more confrontational or seem to be more likely to interact with police with a physical interaction than before,” Escalante said. “I don’t think it has to do with Santa Cruz individually. I think it’s just kind of a trend we’re seeing with (police) generally.”
I call BS. Santa Cruz is a dump! It’s like Berkeley, but on the ocean. It’s a holding pen for the UC Santa Cruz campus crazies.
The homeless man was unarmed, so clearly, there was no danger ...
Good ole Santa Cruz. The liberal cesspool of hippies and surfer doofus’s.
Do the eye gouge!
Do the eye gouge!
Now do the eye gouge, you turkey necks!
Now do the eye gouge!
Do the eye gouge you, turkey necks!
Everybody’s doing it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvBN3C2wepY
Gee, a homeless drug addict in rich liberal Santa Cruz attacks a cop. Who would have thunk? Why didn’t rich libs take in this psycho and give him a home, food, clothes and drugs?
Oh, I know. They don’t give a shit!
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