HEMET: Wrench and brick-wielding man arrested after fighting with, running from officers

HEMET — A man who ran from and fought with officers while armed with a large wrench and brick was arrested after officers chased him down and apprehended him, Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 21.

After an investigation, officers arrested Antonio Smith, 34, of Hemet. Smith was booked into Riverside County Jail on suspicion of obstructing a police officer using force and trespassing, Hemet Police Lieutenant Dickson explained after the incident and arrest. His bail was set at $10,000.

City of Hemet police officers assigned to the Department’s ROCS Team responded to a call of trespassing in the 300 block of S. Kirby Street just after 12:30 p.m.

When the officers arrived, they located several subjects who were trespassing.

Officers quickly noticed that one of the trespassers, later identified as Smith,; “had a large wrench in his hand,” said Dickson. “The officers asked Smith to drop the wrench so that they could continue their investigation; however, he refused.”

When the officers attempted to disarm Smith, he began to fight with them, according to Dickson.

Officers radioed a priority call for assistance, which brought officers from around the city flooding into the normally quiet neighborhood.

“During the ensuing struggle, the officers were able to get the wrench away from Smith but he picked up a nearby brick and raised it up as a weapon,” Dickson explained.

Fearing for his and other officers’ safety, an officer deployed a Taser device; which apparently had no effect on the combative man.

As the struggle continued, Smith managed to break away from the officers and fled on foot, running into and through a nearby neighborhood.

As Smith ran through the neighborhood, officers caught up with and apprehended him in the 400 block of Carmel Way.

After officers managed to catch and arrest Smith, officers requested medical aid for minor injuries the combative man received while fighting with and fleeing from officers.

Smith was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance required for booking. He was later booked into jail, according to Dickson.

An online jail records search revealed Smith was arrested last month on Oct. 22 for similar charges. In that incident Smith was found guilty of two counts of obstructing or resisting a peace officer, making terrorist threats and failure to appear in court.

After pleading guilty to the October charges, Smith was sentenced to probation and released from custody three days after his October arrest.

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries 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.