HEMET: Man flees from, fights with police in dramatic downtown take-down
HEMET – A man who fled from and then fought with local officials was arrested in a dramatic downtown incident after officers used a Taser less lethal weapon to subdue the fleeing and combative subject. The arrest happened Tuesday afternoon, April 11, near the intersection of Florida Avenue and Juanita Street in Hemet.
Official vehicles from several agencies descended on the intersection during the foot pursuit. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
The incident – which happened on the City of Hemet’s busiest street – brought officers, deputies and agents from multiple agencies converging on the location.
In the few, but tense, minutes after the short incident began, a sea of black and white – as well as unmarked and undercover patrol vehicles – seemed to flood onto Florida Avenue from every direction.
After his arrest, the suspect, who has not yet been named by officials, was transported to Hemet Valley Hospital for a medical clearance necessary to book him into jail.
It was not immediately known which agency involved in the foot pursuit was the arresting agency, what the man was arrested for or what he was to be charged with.
The incident happened about 3 p.m., when Region 3 Gang Task Force members attempted to stop and speak with the man who was walking in the area.
Riverside County’s Region 3 Gang Task Force is comprised of officials from Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Hemet Police Department, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, United States Border Patrol, California Highway Patrol and Riverside County Probation Department.
Instead of stopping to speak with the officers, the subject fled on foot, running across Florida Avenue from Buena Vista Street.
When officers caught up with the fleeing man near the intersection of Florida Avenue and Juanita Street, they reported that he immediately became physical with them, violently resisting arrest and the officers’ attempts to subdue him. Officers eventually deployed a Taser against the combative suspect.
The suspect sustained minor injuries during the scuffle and was treated at a local hospital. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
The Taser deployment was successful and stunned the man long enough to be taken into custody without further incident.
The subject suffered a cut below his left eye and other minor injuries consistent with a brief struggle.
Once the suspect was in custody, officers immediately requested medical personnel to evaluate and treat the man’s injuries. He was later transported by ground ambulance to HVH before being booked into jail.
One westbound lane on Florida Avenue was temporarily blocked while medics treated the suspect and prepared to take him to the hospital.
No other information was readily available about this incident and arrest.
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This is a developing story. Additional information will be updated as it becomes available.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.
Hooray for our officers
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