Officer dives to avoid man in SUV
A local man has been charged with trying to run over a policeman while trying to evade arrest.
The suspect, Candido Gonzalez is charged with aggravated assault on an officer, aggravated assault, evading arrest and DUI.
The incident happened around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at a residence on Cascade Avenue when police were dispatched to a disturbance call there. Upon arrival, police discovered Gonzalez allegedly pulled a kitchen knife on another man there and threatened to cut him. An altercation then transpired between the men, during which time the intended victim used a chair to disarm Gonzalez.
Police, who found a kitchen knife lying on the floor near a broken chair, were preparing to take Gonzalez into custody when he reportedly jumped into a Ford Explorer and tried to leave.
“He began to exit the driveway at a high rate of speed,” patrolman Stuart Whitman said in the warrant against Gonzalez. “While doing so, he turned his wheel to the left and attempted to run me down. I leaped out of the way and narrowly missed being struck.”
Gonzalez then tried to drive his vehicle through a neighbor’s yard but was blocked when Whitman dove into his patrol car, moved it over and blocked his path.
“The suspect then attempted to flee on foot,” Whitman said. “I tackled him from behind. While handcuffing him I observed a heavy odor of intoxicant on his person.”